Wrapped
by spartankukla
Summary: Thought he was doing fine on his own...he had his mates, the GSE, the school. But then he found himself becoming wrapped around her finger. And he'd be damned if he was going to screw this up. Pete/OC Rated M for language and adult themes
1. Prologue: Wrapped

**Hello GSE fans! I'm very very new to this so please be kind, it's my first attempt so any comments/concerns/criticism is welcome! This will be starting off slow but will hopefully be well worth it so bear with me. **

**Thank you & enjoy…**

Prologue: Wrapped

* * *

"Now, please note on the schedule that the first group will be going through the Trench Experience whereas the second group will be going through the Blitz Experience. Mr. Dunham – you'll be taking your lads through the Trench first and Mr. O'Callaghan you'll be going through the Blitz first, any questions?"

Adele Reed glared down at the two young men through her glasses as each man nodded his acceptance.

"Now please go out, collect your classes and we'll meet you out front of the building with the buses." Pete Dunham and Padraig O'Callaghan stood to leave after listening to Headmaster Reed but were quickly stopped with a final warning.

"And boys? Keep them in line this year…and each other, I don't want any other "incidents" like last trip, got it?" Both of them bit back a smirk and nodded quickly in assent as they gathered their things to meet their classes.

"Yes Mr. Dunham, do try your best not to lose one of your kids then throw up on the tour guide on account of last night's drinking session," Paddy joked lightly, doing his best impression of Miss Reed while shoving his shoulder into Pete's who gave a harsh glare in his direction.

"Oi, like you were any better, ya Mick – you got caught touchin' a statue's bum and nearly thrown out of the gallery," Paddy turned red with embarrassment and Pete gave a loud laugh at the sight.

"I just wanted to compare it to me own, what's so strange about that?" He questioned Pete who simply laughed in response.

They reached Paddy's classroom and Pete smacked his back, "See ya in a few mate – good luck corrallin' your boys." Paddy waved in response and Pete strode a few feet down the hall to his own classroom. One of his boys had showed up early and was kicking a football around the room. He smiled at the sight. For the most part he loved teaching history, the only exception being field trips such as the one planned for today. He found himself wishing it was already the afternoon and the trip already over.

He had no idea that today would become one of the most momentous of his entire life.

* * *

"Oi, you push him again you'll be glued to my hip the rest of the trip, got it?" Pete glared down at the 10 year old in front of him and gently shoved him away from the other boys while quickly counting them to ensure he hadn't forgotten anyone at the school.

Completing his count he got the boys attention and shouted out directions, "Right, let's follow Mr. O'Callaghan's class, we'll be hitting the Trenches first now march – OI, get off that tank or you'll set it off!"

"Aw, Mr. Dunham, it aint work like that." The freckle-faced boy shouted down at him while dangling 7 feet above the ground on the gun of the large tank outside the Imperial War Museum.

"It aint work like that'? Who is teaching you English?? Now _go_ before you miss the exhibit," he sighed and wiped sweaty palms down is trousers. Pete Dunham figured this was going to be one very long, day. Looking ahead for PCall he jogged towards the head of the group and up the stairs of the museum, having no idea what lay ahead of him.

Strolling through the front and pulling the tickets out of his pocket, he handed each boy a ticket (knowing half of them would lose it in the 10 steps to the ticket taker) when he stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes fell on a young woman speaking to Paddy. Honey brown hair fell in loose curls down her back and her eyes shined as she threw her head back in laughter. He stared in fascination, drinking in the pale skin and smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose. His eyes dropped lower to take in the white dress shirt peeking out under a vest, the tight, black pinstripe skirt and the gray heels elevating her to just under Paddy's chin. He gazed at the tantalizing curves of her body, feeling his body fill with desire.

"Fuck me," he breathed out loud.

Suddenly a shout resounded from behind him, "MR. DUNHAM!" he cringed at the familiar voice and turned around to find Adele Reed glaring down at him, "How many times have I had to talk to you about your language?? You are in charge of dozens of boys and that's the type of example you choose to set for them? I am going to start handing down serious punishment if you don't shape up and another thing…"

As she continued to rant, Pete's eyes strayed to the girl that was still standing talking to Paddy – willing her to look towards him. Just as he was about to give up it seemed as though she felt his gaze and her eyes shifted towards him. He locked eyes with her and felt goosebumps explode on his skin as she gave him a slight smile

"Are you even hearing me, Dunham?" Ms. Reed snapped her fingers in his face and he broke eye contact with the girl to stare back at Ms. Reed.

"Erhm, sorry ma'am, I'll make sure to watch myself around the boys." Attempting to force his face into what he hoped was a penitent look she finally softened and gave a slight nod implying the conversation was over. Looking over to where Paddy had been standing he saw only PCall leading his boys into the large open exhibit floor towards the stairs to take them down to the Blitz. _But where did the girl go?_ He thought desperately, searching the area around him to find her.

"Um, sir? Hello?" an American accent broke through his frantic searching. Turning around his gaze landed on _her_.

"Hi!" she said nervously, holding her hand out for him to shake, "I'm Josephine Murphy…I'll be leading you as well as your boys around the museum today. Now I understand your boys are the ten year old group? Yes? Great. Please go easy on me, this is my first tour and I'm a bit nervous. And when I'm nervous I tend to ramble and speak quickly but I swear I know my stuff and there are always these horror stories about how awful the first time is: the groups are rough and mean and argue with the information given. And I'm an _American_, that's even worse I'm just so freaked, Christ I already probably sound like a moron." This last bit came more as a murmur to herself, rather than to him as she trailed off awkwardly.

"MS! Ms. Murphy! _Stop_," smirking slightly as he gazed down at her he watched as she seemed to realize how crazy she'd sounded, "Relax, even if you bottle it they'll have no idea and I swear I won't let on if you royally fuck up by saying that Hitler invented trench war or some shit like that." Hand over heart and a smirk on his face he waited for her reply his hand still tingling from her touch. To his slight shock she let out the same hearty laugh he'd seen her give Paddy, brown eyes sparkling, making his heart soar.

"Please, call me Josie, Josephine makes me sound like an 80 year old woman. And this is going to be hard enough, I don't need you making me more nervous," he held her gaze thrilled that she seemed to imply he made her nervous. He continued to stare at her face, examining her up close and grinning stupidly at her. He felt like he'd just been hit by a bus. Pete turned around when he felt eyes burning into his back to see his entire class staring at the two of them.

"Right then…now boys – this is Ms. Murphy…a Yank but please don't hold that against her." Smiling and nodding in her direction to ensure she knew he was kidding he turned back to them, "She'll be taking us through the museum today and I expect you to give her your full undivided attention."

"Heh, I'd like to give'r somethin' else too." Pete heard one of the boys mumble to another and he flicked him in the arm, resisting the urge to smack him. He reminded himself that after all, this was a ten year old boy he was dealing with and they tended to be at the stage of just noticing the opposite sex. But still, he felt strangely over-protective of Josie and he didn't even know her.

"Lead the way Miss," Pete said and his eyes followed her greedily as she turned on her gray-clad high heeled foot and began to the lead the group. He smirked to himself as he watched the tantalizing way her hips swayed in the pinstriped skirt…maybe this day wouldn't be quite as awful as he'd thought it would be.

* * *

"Mate, she is fit as fuck and she was definitely making eyes at me," Paddy mumbled to Pete as they attempted to have a quiet conversation as Josie led the boys through the museum, occasionally making the collected crowd around her laugh at some anecdote while holding their undivided attention. Pete could barely tear his eyes away from her to give a gobsmacked look in Paddy's direction.

"Bollocks! She chose to spend the day with my group, only allowing you to join when that blonde coworker couldn't hack it after Benjy spit on her new shoes. You'd think they'd screen it better so they'd know if you can bloody well hack it leadin' hoards of little ones around," Pete rolled his blue eyes at the thought of the uppity blonde that had sprinted off the floor screaming when the glob of spit landed on her shoe.

"Eh," Paddy waved a dismissive hand in his direction, "You 'eard her, last name o' Murphy she'd love to get her mitts into an Irish stallion such as meself."

Pete rolled his eyes, a biting retort on his lips when the crowd stopped abruptly and he heard the object of their conversation cut loudly through their soft chat, shaking off another round of goose-bumps he looked up at her.

"Now, unfortunately, you must leave me and head back to whatever little hooligan home bred you. My hopes are you enjoyed the tour, learned a little about World War II and think a bit higher of Americans than you did before," she gave a cheeky grin in Pete's direction then turned to lead the group out of the museum to their waiting buses.

Laughing along with the rest of the group he broke away from Paddy, intent on having a private chat with Josie before they left._ I'm fallin' arse over tit for this bird and I just met her_, Pete thought to himself as the group of boys and men followed her out. This Josie was nothing short of gorgeous and smart and funny, but how to get her away from the group so he could ask her out? Walking blindly as he searched around for her in the crowd he felt a warm barrier blocking his path.

"Ow _shit_," he heard a soft cry as he knocked roughly into whoever it was in front of him. He tried to catch himself from knocking whoever it was down but instead he ended up grasping at the sleeves of someone and felt himself falling to the ground, bringing her with him.

And just like that Pete Dunham had literally fallen head over heels taking Josephine Murphy down with him.

* * *

**So, that's the start! Any help would be appreciated and if you think it's terrible, please tell me, I'm a big girl and can take it. Also, if you think something sounds familiar from another story – let me know, I feel like I've tried to read everything that I might inadvertently use something of someone's and I do NOT want that happening.**


	2. Surreal

"That was - hands down - the funniest fuckin' thing I've ever seen."

Glaring up at Emma, Josie gave a rude hand gesture before going back to cleaning the blood from her shredded palm after that young teacher from earlier had knocked her to the ground. Just thinking about those blue eyes made her feel weak and it had nothing to do with the blood loss. Although…the pain in her hand was starting to outweigh the affect those stupid eyes had on her body.

"At least I wasn't scared off after some little shit spit on my shoes like some_one _we all know." Glancing up at Emma, Josie saw her usually calm, pale face turn bright red and she knew she'd struck a nerve in her usually cool-headed friend.

"OI, fuck off – those were new, beautiful, kid-skin Manolo Blahniks and I had to attend to them immediately." After seeing the look of humor sparkling in Josie's eyes, her face immediately returned to the pale, haughty aristocratic look it usually held with only a hint of color from her outburst remaining.

Smiling devilishly at the blonde, Josie wrapped a bandage around her hand, pleased with the care she had taken in cleaning it all up. As she did so, she caught sight of the watch on her slender wrist and shrieking at the time grabbed her bag, "Shit, I gotta get outta here – I start that bartending job today down the road from my place. I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Bye bye Josie posy, hope you run into your lad again, he had quite the eyes for you!" Flipping her blonde hair aside, Emma laughed as Josie once again flipped her the bird as she ran around the corner and down the hall, heels clicking loudly then falling into silence.

* * *

Running through the station, desperate to get to the District line in time, she glanced again at her watch, noting that she was glad she'd had the foresight to bring along a bag of clothes in order to change there. Josie had been a bartender since she was about sixteen and when she'd moved to London she'd immediately began looking for jobs – quickly finding one in a pub called the Abbey just down the road from her new apartment, or _flat_ she thought in her mind. She was always trying to fit in with her new surroundings and she found herself changing her American slang for the British counterpart in the hopes she wouldn't feel so out of place – it didn't seem to do much good, especially since her vocabulary was quite limited.

Josie had moved to London about a month ago and March was a cruel time to be in a new city. Trying to settle into her new, dream job, attempting to find side jobs to afford to keep said dream job as well as preparing for graduate school in September was overwhelming to say the least. But this was what she had worked so hard for through the past 23 years of her life. Unfortunately, there were suddenly cracks starting to show in the carefully laid foundation of her life. And they seemed to lie behind the blue eyes of a man she had only just met.

Finally reaching her train, Josie settled into the lulling ride – attempting to will the train to somehow move faster so she wasn't late for her first day of work.

* * *

Breathing a sigh of relief as the Abbey came into view at the corner of the road, Josie hurried her step, heels clicking loudly in the empty street. It was eerie in a way, not another person in sight and she moved faster trying to reach the pub before a zombie could jump out at her. Shaking the ridiculous thought from her mind and feeling her nerves tingle at the thought of another new start, she looked up at the sign and pushed open the heavy bar door.

Lucky for her the pub was nearly empty and the face behind the bar met her with a grin rather than a scowl for running late.

"A'right there lady? You're lookin' a little too fancy for this place, eh. Hope you've brought some grub cloths cause you won't be wanting to ruin that pretty lil skirt o' yours." Giving a smile to Terry, Josie made a beeline for the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it just in case.

Glancing in the dingy mirror, Josie gave a sigh at the tired face that stared back at her. What made her think she'd ever be able work two jobs as well as go to school? _And_ the school portion hadn't even started yet. Quickly digging into her large bag she grabbed her makeup purse so she could attempt to brighten her dull eyes and add a little color to the white sheet that was her face.

As she brushed a little more bronzer over her face and pulled her hair in a loose ponytail, letting her bangs fall slightly into her eyes, she decided that was as good as it was going to get. Smilingly slightly to herself, she noted her eyes seemed a little brighter and her freckles weren't so stark against her pale skin. Pulling on a pair of faded blue jeans and a plain white tee, she completed the outfit with some sneakers and she rushed out of the bathroom, already having taken too long.

* * *

Terry gave the young brunette a grin as she ducked under the bar to come up on the other side, "Ok Yoda, show me the way of the force and by force I mean show me around the bar." Bursting out in laughter Terry looked down at Josie who was wearing a serious face, "Come onnnn, I'm serious!" she whined, "I don't want to look like a doof when people get here and the keg kicks and I don't know where to go to change it and what if we run out of glasses or ice and what…"

"Oi, relax Joze, you know yer shit, that's why I hired you. You'll learn where everything is as it goes. Now go," nudging her slightly to the opposite end of the bar, "you've got your first customer of the night." Nodding towards the nearly toothless man at the end of the bar, already holding on to it for dear life, she once again wondered if she was ever going to be able to pull this off. Lucky for her, Terry seemed to have taken an instant liking to her when she'd come to interview last weekend and since then she'd been coming in after work each night for a quick chat to try to get a little more comfortable in her new surroundings and to possibly make a few friends.

Pasting a smile on her face she nearly ran to the end of the bar quickly asking what he'd like.

"Esk oi 'int." The man replied, the stench of booze so thick on his breath she could almost taste it. Feeling a momentary wave of nausea she stared back at him blankly.

"Erm, what?" Josie's mind was no where near comprehending what he'd said and she was mostly questioning if it was even English. He repeated his request, albeit a little gruffer this time since she wasn't grasping what he was saying.

"He'd like a pint o' Fullers, that one over there." Glancing behind the older man, Josie saw another customer who looked to be a few years older than her and throwing a grateful smile in his direction she scurried over to pull the pint and hopefully get rid of this man without further issues.

The pint glass finally filled, Josie brought the drink over to Mac (as she'd heard him called by the younger man behind him) and took whatever coin was thrown her way just wanting to be done with him as all her senses were assaulted by his mere presence.

"Alright there love? I'll be havin' onea the same. Names Dave and your's gorgeous?" Feeling her face burn a little at the pet names Josie glanced up at the slight smile on his face deciding he didn't seem too dangerous, "Josephine."

"A Yank in the Abbey? I never thought I'd see the day. So Josephine ya say? Wha' sorta dodgy old-fashioned name is that?" Josie felt a grin pull at her mouth as she set the pint down in front of him.

"Dodgy? Is that how you get all the girls? Insult their name right off the bat then give 'em a little grin? Lucky for you, no one uses my full given name – just call me Josie or Joze or Jo Jo or something to that affect. I'd even answer to 'you' which I'm sure I'll be gettin' all night. Most likely from the 'dodgy' lookin characters waitin' for you in that corner." Nodding towards the end of the bar, Dave followed her gaze and saw the rest of the boys had arrived while he was chatting her up. Giving a wave to the boys, he turned his attention back to Josie.

"OI, you better be gettin' all of us one o' them pints, bruv, I aint gettin' paid til the end of the week."

"Swill, you twat, it _is_ the end of the week." Dave shouted back and Josie's face burned again, this time at the language. She'd never been used to the more colorful word choice the Brits seemed to have – her vulgarity seemed to have a short range in comparison to the rest of the Island's population. Dave turned back to Josie, "We're gonna need a few more o' these, love. I'd say make it an even 5, yeah?"

Returning his slight smile she turned to fill a few more pint glasses looking up when she saw the one that'd yelled out standing directly in front of her. "Hey you pretty little bird, what's a place like you doing in a girl like this?" Josie glanced up at his pale, slightly chubby face, noted he was swaying slightly and immediately burst out laughing. For fucksake, it was just gone 6 and this man was already stumbling over sentences.

"You might want to be working on your sentence structure there pal, it's not quite up to par right now." Turning on her heel, Josie placed the 5 pints on a tray and walked the length of the bar to deliver them to Dave's mates. She glanced over her shoulder to see the slightly drunk guy digging in his pockets for a pack of cigarettes only to get distracted by a gaggle of girls that'd just entered the pub and were flirting heavily with Terry while he was getting their drinks.

"Eh, Dave you might want to be checking on your buddy over there, he's lookin' like he's about to boot on that girl's shoes." Blowing a wisp of bangs out of her eyes, the rest of the boys looked down to see Swill nearly miss the bar stool, seeming to recognize he wasn't going to be successful at sitting on the high stool, he finally decide to retreat to the back of the pub giving up the hope of pulling a girl tonight.

Dave winked up at Josie, "Nah, not to worry, he'll find his way back. Now you put those pints down and say a proper 'ello to the boys. This here's Ned, Ike, the fat one stumbling over is Swill and the bloke hidin' in the corner is Keith. This here's Josephine but please, call 'er 'you'"

"Thas a bloody strange nickname you got der you." Swill slurred to her. Laughing slightly, she took the bank note from Dave and with a wink ducked back under the bar with five sets of eyes trailing her backside.

"Fuck me, I'd give my left nut if she'd just lick the right one." Groans of disgust resonated around the table at Swills rather graphic description of desire and chose to ignore him outright.

"Oi, when's Pete gettin' 'ere, he finishin up with the little ones then leggin' it over here?" Ike looked to Dave for the answer and the answer came with a shrug and a nod towards the door as the tall, blonde man strutted through the door of the Abbey nodding towards varied people as he made a beeline for the back. After the day he'd had all he wanted was a cold beer and a laugh with the boys and to maybe start to think of a plan to get Josie into his life in a more permanent manner.

"Shit mate, what happened to yer head? One o' them little twats knock you out finally?" Ned called with a laugh. The sizeable bruise on Pete's head made him cringe and with a knot forming in his stomach he thought only of what damage he could have done to Josie after their little tumble. He recalled a good amount of blood coming from her hand as she'd been ushered quickly inside by the blonde bird that one of Paddy's boys had spit on.

"Nah mate, I tackled one o' the tour guides at the end of the trip." With a smirk he gratefully took the pint offered to him and took a seat, loosening his tie in the process.

"Fucksake, what'd the geezer do that made ya tackle him?" Looking round the table at the questioning faces, Pete debated whether or not he wanted to make Josie fodder for the boys jokes or not. Deciding against it he desperately tried to think of another excuse, stalling by taking a long gulp of his beer.

"I ah, just, uh…" Lucky for him a loud crash distracted the boys from the question and they all turned their gaze to see Mac being shuttled out of the bar by his wife who was fit to be a linebacker, screeching the entire way about the amount of drink he'd had.

Hearing laughter from the bar, Pete looked up and felt is heart drop to his stomach. There. She. Was. Standing there, talkin' to Terry and pulling pints like she'd been here forever.

"Ah, so I see Petey boy's spotted our new bartendress, she's called you, ya know. Weird fuckin' name, but dem Yanks have always been a bit dodgy." Looking back at Swill, Pete wondered momentarily just how he managed to get so loaded so fast but quickly brushed off the thought and stood up.

"Anyone need another pint?" Downing his, he didn't even wait for the answer, instead he made a straight run towards Josie, taking in her small frame, the plain white t-shirt could have been a cocktail dress as far as he was concerned, she looked even more gorgeous than she had at the museum. Her honey brown bangs fell into her eyes and she kept blowing them out of her face while she was getting the next customers drink. Standing there taking her in he waited patiently for the crowd to thin.

"Hey Dunham! What can I get ya mate?" Pete cringed as he looked towards Terry, his stupidity sinking in as he realized _of course_, Terry would want to get him a drink quickly.

"Eh, I'm, uh, not sure. Can't decide it all looks so good." Motioning to the different taps in a comical manner, Terry gave him a questioning glance that Pete didn't even see as he'd already turned his attention back to Josie. Terry smiled knowingly and turned to attend to the other end of the bar.

"Alright gorgeous, how's the hand?" Josie looked up with a start at what was already an all too well-known voice. Confusion clouded her brown eyes and she tilted her head as though trying to determine whether she was really seeing him or not.

"You, uh, what are you...? How is this...? Um, so pint, yeah?" Deciding no question was suitable for the situation she instead turned around to grab another glass from the shelf, reaching on her tip toes and exposing just the slightest hint of skin to Pete's hungry eyes. His gaze never left her, watching her every move trying to come up with something witty to dazzle her with and make her his.

"Hey there, you best be gettin' bout four more of those things down, our boy Pete here is buyin', a sight we've never seen and we want to take full advantage." Inwardly cringing, Pete shrugged off the arm Dave had draped around his shoulder and reached for his wallet, wishing Dave would just piss off and let him chat up Josie.

"Eh, sure. I'll just, um, bring 'em down to your table again." Dave looked with confusion between Pete and Josie, starting to feel the tension between the two and decided he'd just bugger off. Besides, he'd seen the look Pete was giving him right now many times before, usually directed at members of opposing firms and it was usually followed by a beating that Dave would rather like to avoid so he turned to leave the two alone.

Pete waited until Dave had reached the table again before turning his attention back to Josie. She was just setting the third filled pint glass down and was about to grab another when Pete reached towards her and gently took her bandaged hand in his. Running his hands gently over her knuckles they locked eyes, neither one knowing quite what was going on, the situation was just too surreal. The manner in which they had met and now, only a few hours later finding each other in a pub miles away from their first meeting place – it was the stuff of stories, not reality.

"I'm so sorry about knocking you down, I wasn't paying attention and you're just so short and I didn't see you and…" Pete Dunham tongue-tied and rambling? Oh shit, you had to be fuckin' kidding me, he thought. "And I was going to come back to the museum to find you or send flowers or do _something_, but you just took off inside and that was that." Trying desperately to look confident, Pete smiled down at her but faltered when he saw her face furrowed in thought.

Cocking an eyebrow at him his heart pounded in his chest, wondering if he'd bottled it before there even was anything to bottle. Instead, she just smiled up at him tilting her head again before speaking, "Well then, I guess that just means you have a lot to make up for, seeing as you severely wounded me by tackling me to the ground. Now, you can start by helping me bring these pints down to your mates."

Letting out a laugh, Pete grabbed two of the pints and dutifully followed her down the length of the bar, occasionally glancing over at her and wondering just what he was getting himself into.

**Like it? Hate it? A review would make me happy :)**


	3. Met his match?

**Just a quick thank you to my sole reviewer Writer By Nature, it made my day :)**

* * *

"So you gonna explain to us that bruise on yer head and how you already seemed to know Ms. Josie up there? Or are you just going to let us think up our own scenarios which will be much more…eh what's the word Swill?"

"Porno-esque. That what yer goin' for?" Swill's reply was met with laughter while Dave just looked at him with a smirk. Pete sighed and just glared back at them, still debating on whether he should tell them or not. They were his mates though…

"Well, Josie is kinda the reason I got this bruise – she's the tour guide I tackled." Laughter rang out around the table and Pete had the good sense of mind to look slightly embarrassed. "Shits gospel of Paul, I knocked her right on her ass and shredded her palm a fair deal. Not on purpose of course."

"Hah, fit piece of arse like that I bet it _was_ on purpose. Jesus mate, you coulda just asked her for her number instead of going for intimidation tactics, I don't think violence is the best pickup line nowadays."

"Eh, piss off will ya? I was gonna go back to the museum next week to apologize since I didn't get a chance to this afternoon. This blonde bird flipped at the sight of blood and dragged her inside." Pete looked once more over to the bar where Josie was standing and felt his blood boil seeing a herd of blokes standing round trying to chat her up. How did she already have such an effect on him? He'd met plenty of good-lookin' girls in his 23 years, but never one that seemed to seep into his head like she had.

"Fucksake, ya look at that?" Pete pointed up, "They're not even tryin' to get a drink." He continued to glare in the direction of the bar, as the rest of the boys casually glanced up. There were in fact currently about 5 men, all with full pints standing at the end of the bar near Josie. Each one seemed to be staring intently at her, erm assets, rather than her actual face as they vied for her attention.

"Bruv, what are ya expectin'? There 'asn't been a female that good lookin' in this place in years – shit maybe never." Dave stared at Pete giving him a knowing look that caused him to turn his head away – Dave had always been a little too perceptive for his liking.

"So where's Bov, haven't seen his miserable face round here yet tonight?" Pete tried desperately to change the conversation and tried to keep his eyes away from Josie. It didn't seem to work and as if sensing someone watching, she looked up from pouring shots over to the boys and locked eyes with Pete. She gave a half-smile and a slight nod in his direction that made him feel weightless before she broke the stare to return to her work.

"Eh, you know Bovver, he'll show up when it's good for 'im and shit for us. He has that talent." Pete laughed at Ike's response then noted with delight that his pint was done. But before he could leap up to get the next round Dave beat him to it. Clenching his fists slightly and watching as Dave went straight for Josie, Pete made the decision to 'help' him out and was on his feet immediately. In a few long strides he'd caught up to Dave and noted the look of surprise on his face.

"I got 'em mate, I'll have Joze bring 'em down for us." He placed a friendly hand on his shoulder which Pete shrugged off.

"Nah mate, she's busy. I'll help bring 'em down." Trying to look casual Pete hoped he wasn't being quite as obvious as he felt he was.

"Right mate," finally grasping what Pete was gunning for he gave a quick wink, "She's all yours."

He turned and headed back to the table, leaving him to face Josie again. Watching her as she casually chatted with one of the usuals he leaned against the bar, content to wait until she noticed him as it gave him more time to examine her. Closer up he could see the light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the brown hair that was interwoven with shades of blonde, glistening in the dingy light of the bar. He watched as she lightly moistened her plump, pink lips and again blew her bangs out of her eyes as she wrote down someone's food order. Chewing slightly on her lower lip as she concentrated on entering the order, Pete felt his stomach do a little flip – every nerve in his body seemed to be on fire just from watching her. As he continued to gaze at her, she seemed to finally notice his presence and turned towards him.

"Hey you," softly smiling up at him Josie walked closer and leaned over the bar to speak to him without having to yell over the dull roar of the crowd, "Another five for you and your mates?" With a quick smile up at him she turned to grab a pint glass when she was stopped by a warm hand covering hers.

"Nah, fuck 'em they can get their own drinks. Just one for me - you still have to give me more ways to make up for doing this to your hand." Lightly squeezing her hand that he still had enclosed in his she smiled back at him.

"Oh really? So mayyyybe something like a horsie ride in the park or a ride around a carousel and cotton candy and treats for me!?" Looking up at him with a sweet smile on her face he couldn't help but chuckle at her sarcasm.

"Seriously Pete, I'm not five, it was just a scratch. My friend Emma overreacted at the sight of a little blood and the wrap is mostly to keep it clean from the usual griminess of the wonderful world of bartending. And as much as I'd usually like to milk an injury for all its worth, I don't want to be the one making that guilty look appear on your face…unless I have an identical one on my face because we both robbed a bank and are filthy rich, sipping fruity drinks on some faraway island." His laughter rang out loudly attracting a few looks from around the bar while Josie simply stared back to him.

"What? I'm serious – you look a little on the rough side and I've been looking to recruit someone into my gang of thieves. We're top notch, really – we make those Ocean's 11 guys look like amateurs." Smiling back at him she glanced behind her when she heard a voice.

"Ere love, this foods ready – you know where it;s goin, yeah?" Terry interrupted, handing Josie two steaming plates of bangers and mash and she took them with a smile and walked the length of the bar to deliver the dinners.

"So, seems you've taken quite a liking to my little Josephine, eh?" smiling at Pete, Terry watched and waited for his reaction.

_Fuck me, am I that obvious?_ Pete thought.

"Yeah well, I knocked the Yank on her arse earlier today so I felt obliged to apologize."

"Hm, I bet it's that innocent." Giving him another knowing look he continued, "Either way, she's workin' wonders on this joint. I shoulda hired a lady bartender years ago, the boys can't stop drinking in the hopes she'll turn that pretty smile on them while she's taking their order. Though she aint makin' any friends with the other girls." Nodding over his shoulder, Pete turned and saw a small group of local girls, glaring daggers at Josie – though she seemed to have no idea as she stood chatting with the older couple whose food she'd just delivered.

"Bound to happen, females are fuckin' vicious on a good day. Lucky for you, the majority of your patrons are of the male persuasion." Hearing a loud outcry he glanced down to see his mates trying to get his attention, "Aw shit, I guess gimme five pints – the lads have caught on that I wasn't hurrying back." Terry followed his gaze down the bar to see the boys screaming and making rude hand gestures in Pete's direction, waving empty pint glasses at him.

"Looks like they finally cottoned on to your plan of everyman drinks for himself," Josie said appearing at Pete's side, having finished talking with the older couple, "Swill isn't as dumb or drunk as he looks – the second his glass was empty he pointed it out to the rest of the boys and they all seemed to remember you'd left ages ago to get another round."

Pete smiled down at Josie, taking in the sweet smell of her perfume and shampoo, he noticed just how short she was – he'd make her to be about 5'2 putting him almost a foot taller than she was. He towered over her slight frame but he would bet she fit perfectly in the crook of his arm.

"Christ those heels were deceptive – you're a midget!" Shoving Pete slightly, Josie gave a slight huff and left to come back around the bar. Feeling his chest burn pleasantly where she'd touched him, he waited until a moment later when she reappeared on the other side, slightly taller now on account of the platform behind the bar.

"There, that better Mr. Jolly Green Giant? Excuse me that we aren't all the size of huge cartoon characters." Shaking his head in awe at the ridiculous comparison he watched her turn with a smirk while she began to pour the long-awaited pints for the boys, handing the first one to Pete. He took a long sip and they sat in pleasant silence as she continued to pour their drinks.

"So how'd you end up out here? Lambeth is a trek on the best o' days." Pete asked, intrigued as to how a yank ended up in this neck of the woods.

"One word: money. I found a relatively nice apartment, in just a slightly dodgy area, for rent I could afford. The museum doesn't pay much and I start school in September so this was most cost efficient."

"School?" Pete raised an eyebrow at her, "Just how old are you?"

"17, I'll be turning 18 in September." She deadpanned and his mouth dropped open in shock until she burst out laughing at him.

"The look on your face! Relax, I'm 22, its grad school – War Studies to be precise. I'll be starting at King's College in the fall." Pete sighed with relief; it would've been just his luck to fall for a girl that was jailbait.

"War Studies, eh? You a regular ol' Rambo, huh love?" Ignoring his question and just smiling up, she grabbed the pints and motioned for him to follow her back to his table. Walking through the crowd he tried to keep his eyes on her but was stopped abruptly.

"Pete! I've been waiting for you to come over." Looking at the face in front of him, he recognized one of the local girls, thought her name was failing him at the moment.

"Oh, hi." Grimacing slightly at the girl blocking his way he continued, "uh, I'm actually just tryin' to get through to my mates back there." Craning his neck over the crowd he saw Josie had reached his table and was setting the drinks down now. Swill was reaching for his and grabbing at Josie as she kept dangling it just out of his reach.

"Oh well, why don't we just join you lot then?" Nodding towards the couple of girls behind her, he took in the tight, low-cut shirts of the homely girls all looking at him as though he was a piece of meat.

"Uh well, Friday is boy's night…maybe another time, yeah?" Not waiting for an answer Pete sped away leaving one insulted local behind. As he moved along he heard one of the girls loudly exclaim, "Then whys that Yankee cunt get to chat 'em up then?" Pete almost turned back with a biting reply but held his tongue, choosing to get back to the table while Josie was still there.

"They behavin' themselves, not gettin' too cheeky with you Joze?" Finally reaching the table he moved closer to Josie and rested an arm lightly around her shoulders. For a moment she leaned slightly into his touch and he saw goose bumps erupt on her bare arms. Noticing the sly looks on the boys' faces she maneuvered out of his arms.

"The only cheeky one here is _you_, Mr. Dunham. Making these poor, thirsty boys wait ages for their pints. Whatta sin. You should be ashamed of yourself." With a wag of her finger and a flip of her long brown hair she returned to the bar to continue working, leaving the boys in an uproar.

Staring at her back as she walked away from the table to return to behind the bar he couldn't help but think he may have finally met his match in the form of one Josephine Murphy. And he'd be damned if he was going to screw this up.

* * *

**Hope you're all enjoying reading this as much as I'm enjoying writing it. Any feedback is always appreciated!**


	4. Meetings

**Another chapter for ya. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Ow, shit. Stupid fuckin' door why can't you just open." Attempting to maneuver her grocery bags into her other hand, Josie continued to struggle with her keys. "Arghhh." Letting out an aggravated sigh she blew her bangs out of her eyes as she again attempted to get her key into the lock and failed again. Jumping slightly she heard a cough behind her.

"Need a hand there gorgeous?" Josie looked up with wide eyes only to be met by a laugh. "You're a disaster there love, drop your keys and I'll get the door for ya." Dropping her keys on the floor and backing up with a smile she watched as Dave grabbed them and easily unlocked her door for her.

"You're not stalking me are ya? I mean first the bar now my hallway – I mean I know I'm just amazingly, stunningly be-a-u-tiful but it's a little creepy." Attempting to flip her hair over her shoulder in a model-like fashion Josie simply managed to drop one of the grocery bags and with a grimace heard the eggs she'd just purchased crack on the floor.

"Now that just serves you right doesn't it, tryin' to act all uppity? And I'm not stalking you missy – it seems _you_ happen to be my new neighbor." Catching the look of surprise on Josie's face he pushed open her door and bent down to pick up the grocery bag now containing half a dozen broken eggs.

"Neighbors, eh? I've been here about a month now and I haven't seen hide nor hair of you in all that time. Explain yourself." Standing with both hands on her hips and a petulant look on her face, Dave just smirked at her.

"Seems we have opposite schedules; I'm a pilot." His words caused her to drop her bratty look and she looked at him in shock.

"Like airplane pilot, pilot?" narrowing her eyes at him she tried to assess whether or not he was having a go at her.

"I was unaware of other kinds of pilots – but yes, an 'airplane pilot', to answer your unnecessary question, miss." Dave looked back at her innocently and quickly crossed the tiny sitting area to throw the broken eggs in the trash.

"So lemme get this straight: out of your little group of thugs you're a pilot and Pete's a teacher? What's next, Swill a rocket scientist?"

"Nah, he's shit at maths, but somehow a brill computer programmer. So I guess that's another surprise for ya." Nodding her head in agreement Josie stood shaking her head slightly as though still in disbelief at this information.

"Weird – next you'll be tellin' me Ike moonlights as a doctor on nights. Anyways, guess I'm not surprised I've never seen you 'ere, I feel like I'm the only resident in this place. I don't know if it's just that I'm never here or what but it's nice to know you're just across the hall. Especially if I need to borrow any eggs seeing as you caused me to break mine." Lightly smiling at him, Josie began moving around the kitchen putting her groceries away.

"My fault, eh? Don't think so love but you can come over anytime – especially if you hear shouts." Josie looked back at him in confusion.

"Shouts? Like gleeful shouts? Getting mugged shouts? Quote unquote pleasure shouts? I don't quite follow you there, _bruv_." Emphasizing the word bruv she stared back at him gruffly causing him to bark with laughter.

"You are just a cheeky little slag aren't you? I was referring to FIFA shouts…you hear 'em, you come runnin', got it?" Moving towards the door to leave he turned at the sound of Josie's voice.

"Give me one good reason why and maybe I will."

"Because the shouts usually originate from one bloke in particular: your little Petey Dunham. And we all know he'd love to see more of you." Smirking at the shocked look on her face and laughing when he heard her begin to sputter meaningless words he waved a quick goodbye, leaving Josie to try to fight the smile that was threatening to break on her face.

* * *

"So let me get this straight: the same teacher that knocked you on your arse happens to be a local at the new pub you're working at and one of his best mates is your neighbor? And this has all happened within the past three days?" Letting out a low whistle Emma glanced over at Josie, "Well this is just fuckin' perfect! Now you and that beautiful man can date, fuck and marry then you never have to leave Jolly Old ever ever again to return to that silly land of America."

"Date, fuck and marry huh? That seems a bit hasty as I doubt he's even interested. And shit, try to keep your voice down, eh?" Josie and Emma were currently sitting across from each other at work attempting to draw up the schedule for the next week's tours but were mostly having a chat about the past weekend's events.

"Yes, Ms. Parks I would try to keep your voice down – now Ms. Murphy, since you seem to be done your work why don't you run down stairs and take the little ones?"

Looking up in disbelief at her boss, Josie opened her mouth to protest on any number of counts – she hadn't ever dealt with groups under 10, she wasn't dressed to deal with them, she had more work than she could handle and didn't have time right now.

"Now now, you two had time to have a nice little chat I assumed you were done any work of importance. Hurry down, there's a large group of Year Threes just dying to meet you." Turning quickly on his heel her boss walked away not even giving Josie the opportunity to protest.

"Have fun Joze, sorry love – but I am not taking your place so don't even give me that puppy dog look." Glaring into Emma's eyes Josie stormed off to deal with 7 year-olds, already questioning whether or not this might be the day she lost it.

* * *

Pete Dunham looked up at the imposing façade of the Imperial War Museum for the second time in less than a week. This time, rather than expecting a miserable time he was looking for a date with a pretty little Yank. Jogging slightly up the stairs he walked into the main room to be met with the sight of the very person he'd been looking for. Staring at her, trying to suppress a laugh he watched as two young kids were running circles around her as she attempted to grab one as he went by each time, always just managing to miss his collar. On the third lap she finally succeeded and he moved to within listening distance.

"Now, you're gonna have to apologize to her, alright? She's your sister and you can't be pullin' her hair and calling her a Nazi just because she has blonde hair and blue eyes."

"But you said that's what they looked like! 'Member you showed us all that operaganda stuff." The young boy stared at her innocently as Pete watched Josie bite her lip in frustration.

"Its propaganda and I said that was a stereotype perpetuated by the Nazis." Pete nearly laughed out loud as she was using words too big for a boy of seven and she seemed to be clueless of her error, "Now look: you have blonde hair and blue eyes, are you a Nazi?" Pete immediately shook his head – trying to reason with a seven year old was never a smart thing to attempt. Watching in horror he realized what the boy was going to do before he did it and saw in shock as the boy tried to do a fake salute, bending his elbow and whipping his arm out quickly only to end up poking Josie in the eye.

"Why you little shit. Christ that hurt. OI! Get back 'ere." In the shock of the hit she'd released the boy and before she could chase after him she heard three words that thrilled her, "CLASS – outside now!" Glancing up at the chaperones she saw the little devils being escorted out of the museum and breathed a sigh of relief. _That was the worst fuckin' afternoon of my life._

Glancing down at herself, Josie bit back a sigh of frustration: one of those brats had spilled red juice down her shirt, she had a rip in her tights and now her eye was starting to swell. _Awesome_. Turning to go upstairs to her office Josie immediately stopped in her tracks. Standing five feet away, wearing a handsome smirk on his face was Pete Dunham.

"Oh please tell me you did not just see that little encounter?"

"Every bit of it – 'eard it too. Didn't anyone ever teach you not to swear at the wee ones?" Josie glared back at him only breaking into a smile when he continued, "Eh, least you didn't give 'im a smack round the head." His words brought a soft smile to her face and he grinned back at her, taking in her appearance and feeling something pull in his heart. Jesus, this girl would be the death of him.

"Now mister, tell me just what it is you're doing here?" looking at him questioningly Pete felt his stomach flip. _Shit, she doesn't want me here._ "Not that I mind although a little advance warning would have been nice so you didn't have to see me on the verge of beating the crap out of a little boy. Not my best moment, I have no idea how you're a teacher – I'd blow my brains out after a week of it."

Smiling down at her he saw her eyes smiling up at him, "Wellll, I just figured I was in the area so why not come by to see my new favorite girl." Raising an eyebrow he felt his face burn slightly (_blushing? This was new for Pete Dunham._) "Alright, alright I wasn't exactly in the area per say but I had an off day so I thought I'd see if you might be able to kip off early and I'd show you round the city a little, You being a newcomin' yank and all."

Josie felt her heart melt and a pleasant surge course through her veins, "I'd love that. And lucky for you, I'm out in 10 minutes. Mind hangin' out for a few while I grab my stuff upstairs?'

"Sure love, take your time." Turning to hurry upstairs Pete watched as she scurried away, feeling unbearably light at the prospect of the next few hours he'd get to spend with her.

* * *

"Are you going to tell me where you're taking me or not, Dunham?" Pete was currently dragging Josie by the hand through busy streets of London where she was struggling to keep up.

"No, Murphy, I'm not – I told you it's a surprise, you impatient little pip."

"Pip? What are you my 80 year old grandfather?" Turning to glare at her he nearly mowed down a young boy being dragged on a leash by his father, "HAH, now who's the child abuser? Oh, ew a leash – why in God's name do people do that to their children?" Staring after the young boy who was attached to his father by a leash disguised as a teddy bear backpack, Pete had to pull her hand slightly to keep her walking.

"Oi, will you concentrate on the task at hand? Come on, we're almost there." Rolling his eyes at her short attention span he released her hand and proudly pointed at their destination.

"The French House? A bar was my oh-so special surprise destination? How sweet." Raising an eyebrow and smiling at him, he simply smirked down at her and pulled her inside.

"Well my little warmonger-er, this isn't just any ol' bar: it was famous in World War II as being a hangout for the French Resistance. De Gaulle and some other frogs used to hang out 'ere." Josie looked up at Pete in awe as he rocked back and forth on his heels waiting for her reaction.

"I can't believe you remembered I was doing War Studies, this is amazing – I'd never even think to look for somethin' like this. Well, come on then, I'll allow you the pleasure of buying me a drink." Grabbing his hand she dragged him into the bar as he happily followed behind her, loving the feel of his hand in hers.

Once inside he glanced around the place, wrinkling his nose slightly when he realized this was definitely not a pub – there wasn't a pint glass in sight. Still holding onto his hand Josie stood on tiptoes to whisper in his ear, "Little poncey, eh?"

Laughing down at her he led her over to the bar figuring one drink in a snooty place wouldn't kill him and besides, at this point he'd walk through ten feet of glass if it meant he got to spend even five minutes with her.

"I will have a glass of the Pinot Grigio and my comrade will have…?" Laughing slightly at her he looked towards the surly looking barmaid, "Eh, the same I guess."

Turning back to Josie, Pete leaned in to whisper covertly in her ear, "Lemme tell you a secret, I aint never had a glass of wine in my life." Smiling back at him she was just about to lean in to answer when they were interrupted.

"Ms, I'm gonna need to see some I.D." Josie stared in shock at the bartender while Pete tried to suppress a laugh. After the process of taking out her license and the bartender looking over it was complete Pete was nearly choking from trying not to laugh.

"Don't." With that one word Pete lost it and burst out laughing. "Yeah, yeah…verrrry funny. So I apparently look 18, I get freakin' IDed everywhere. 22 years old and I can't even get a drink in London. Christ, 14 year olds can get served but not me." Continuing to laugh Pete picked up his glass and took a large gulp nearly spitting it out, _how the shit do women drink this?_

"Serves you right for bein' a jerk, now bask in the history, gulp your wine then I'll allow you to take me to a real pub, yeah? Something more up your alley, like a place that rhymes with alley?" Giving him a sideways smile he watched as she daintily sipped her wine. He grabbed his glass by the stem he went to take another sip when she stopped him with a hand on his.

"You're doin it wrong"

"How can I possibly drink wrong?" Giving her an appraising look she smirked at him and held her glass to show him; holding the top part and sticking out her pinky she took a small sip.

"Seee, you have to do it elegant like. Sticking out your pinky always classes things right up." Laughing at her again he grabbed his glass and imitated her.

"You are bloody insane, you know that love?"

"Aw, but you're the one that sought out my company so that must make you certifiable, huh?"

Once again he felt his stomach flip at the very sight of her and thought he'd like nothing more than to drink shitty wine with her than have a pint with any other person in the world.

* * *

**So, liking it? Hating it? Stopped after the first chapter & not even seeing this? Any feedback would be delightful! **

**[ed. note: apologies if anyone is insulted by calling the French frogs - relax, it's just a story :)]**


	5. Darts

* * *

"Let me get this straight – you punched a cop in the face and got away with it?" Pete stared at Josie in astonishment as she gave a slight scoff.

"It was an accident! …Sort of. And of course I got away with it; will you look at this smile?" Giving a ridiculous, slightly drunken grin she pointed at her face, nearly poking herself in the eye before continuing, "I apparently looked like the cop's daughter and he took pity on me being a drunken idiot who steal's bums beers and accidently hits cops. It was a hell of a mess to explain to my dad when the policeman was kind enough to escort me to the front door and explain –_in detail_ - everything that had gone on that night."

Pete and Josie were seated at the bar of the Abbey; both with swimming heads after having each drank a bottle of wine at the French House. They had begun swapping stories and Josie had just finished the story of her 21st birthday while Pete sat there nearly pissing himself with laughter. He gave her a sidelong look to see her clinging onto the counter in the same state, it seemed the wine had gone straight to her head and they were currently shooting the shit while waiting for Terry to deliver their dinners.

"Ere you are, bangers and mash for the beautiful lady and shepherd's pie for the homely gentleman." Terry smiled at Josie as she giggled back at him while Pete simply glared at him but smiled again as he saw Josie begin to shovel her dinner down as though it was her last meal.

"Oi love, you're gonna choke on that if you don't slow down." Looking at her again he saw her glaring back but unable to reply due to the amount of food stuffed in her mouth making her look like a chipmunk. Even with food filling her mouth she looked adorable and he simply stared back at her as she tried to talk.

"Ef ou."

"Eh, come again?"Raising an eyebrow at her, he watched as she chewed and chewed, finally managing to swallow the mouthful, she calmly turned to him and said, "Fuck you."

"Now now, that aint very ladylike, is it? I'd like an apology please miss."

"Hah, you'll be waitin' ages for that then _mister_. Now eat your food before it gets cold." Turning back to her dinner he continued to stare over at her in wonder, a small smile playing on his face. He was slightly shocked at the amount of food such a tiny girl could pack in but thrilled that she wasn't the one-glass-of-wine, I'll-have-a-salad type girl but instead seemed to be an I'll-drink-you-under-the-table then eat-a-burger type girl.

"Ere love, compliments of the gentlemen at the end of the bar." Looking up Pete watched as Terry set a full pint in front of Josie and he glared down to the end of the bar only to see Dave and Swill staring down at the two of them with matching grins on their faces. Rolling his eyes slightly at the smirks they were giving them he glanced over at Josie as she squealed with delight. _Who gets that happy about a beer?_ He thought gruffly and with a twinge of jealousy that he wasn't the one making her that happy. He continued to glare down the bar until he realized she was looking up at him with a devilish look sparkling in her brown eyes.

"Stop looking so surly, I'm about to make you a very rich man, babe. Wanna win some money off your friends? They seem like the bar game types and I have the most perfect plot ever."

"I'm all ears, love." Leaning in to hear her plan he smirked down the bar at Swill and Dave, knowing they had no idea what they were getting into, while the two men just stared down at the couple waving at them to join their table.

* * *

"Aw, beat us three in a row – oh well, least we weren't gambling!" Josie took a large gulp of her pint and squinted slightly at the scoreboard of the cricket game they'd just finished. In the mean time Pete watched as Swill and Dave exchanged sly looks.

"Wellll, how about we place a slight wager – closest to the bull's-eye wins? I'll put 10 quid down." Dave waved the note in front of Josie's face, she sighed as though thinking about it before smiling back at him.

"Alright, fine you're on. Petey boy, you gonna put 10 on me to beat your mate here?" Smirking up at him, Pete returned her gaze and gave a slight nod of consent.

Josie went first, nearly missing the dart board completely while Dave quickly followed her shot, nearly hitting the direct center of the board. She groaned slightly while Dave received high-fives from Swill, Ike and Ned.

"Pay up Yank, don't want you runnin' out on your tab now do we?" Dave held his hand out while Josie playfully slapped it and laughed back at him, "How's about doubling the wager? I work better under pressure." She looked up at him innocently and Pete watched as Dave's eyes lit up at the prospect.

"I'll throw down 20 on Dave." Swill chimed in.

"Me too."

"And me!" Pete smirked to himself hearing Ike and Ned chime in along with Swill and glanced up as Josie rocked back and forth on her heels, an angelic smile playing on her lips.

"Ah now, that's bollocks. Who's going to bet on me??" Looking over at Pete hopefully he merely nodded his head again and pulled a 20 note from his wallet to throw down.

Pete stared at Josie as she watched Dave go first. Making a noble effort he struck quite close to the bull's eye. Motioning for Josie to take her turn, Pete watched Dave give a self-assured smile to the boys then turned back to watch Josie take her shot.

"Oi love, you gonna throw lefty all night? Thought you said you were a righty…" Pete nearly burst out laughing at the look on Dave's face as his jaw dropped as he watched Josie throw the dart and hit the dead center of the bull's eye. The boys all gave a shout as Josie did a slight leap into the air and an odd little fist pump.

"Boop! Ahh, what would I do without you, Petey Dunham?" Reaching out and pinching his cheek she gave another laugh, "I woulda lost me a whole ton of money if you hadn't so kindly reminded me I'm a much better dart player if I'm throwing righty." Grinning at the boys she laughed outright as they glared back at her before reluctantly breaking into smiles themselves.

"You tosser! The two of you was in league together. Petey I can't believe you brought a ringer in and betrayed your best mates all in the name of a pretty lady!" Laughing slightly at Swill, Pete simply shoved him away and went over to Josie. Leaning down over her shoulder he smiled back at her and took her hand.

"Come on then little miss ringer – time for you to buy a round for the poor sods you just screwed out of all that money."

Throwing her head back in laughter she allowed Pete to lead her up to the bar. Josie was having one of the best nights she'd had in as long as she could remember. For the first time since she'd arrived from the States she finally felt comfortable somewhere. She'd been out a few times with Emma but they'd mostly gone to stuck-up martini bars where Josie felt like the poor American that had been taken pity on by a rich aristocrat. Not that Emma would ever purposely try to put her in that situation but she wasn't exactly the best when it came to recognizing other's feelings. But this was another story, not only was she enjoying the company of the boys but meeting Pete was the bonus she'd never expected to find in her move to London. She didn't quite understand how she'd already fallen so hard for him and she was having trouble thinking of reasons as to why she shouldn't just let herself fall: screw school and screw her plans, what harm could it do?

"So what'll it be there freckles?" Terry laughed at the cross look Josie gave in return and simply waited until she finally cracked a grin back.

"Six pints if you please _old man_." Josie smirked at Terry who was the one now wearing a glare before he turned to grab their drinks.

Pete smiled down at Josie and leaned in close to talk to her without being interrupted by the loud bar noises around them, "That was brilliant ya know? Where'd a girl like you learn how to play darts like that?"

Raising an eyebrow at him, "A girl like me? And just _what_ is that supposed to mean?" Crossing her arms across her chest she stared up at him accusingly.

"I, uh, I just meant that um, well a girl doesn't usually, um, ah…" Pete was grasping at straws, trying to explain to Josie that it wasn't an insult but was meant to be a sort of compliment. Sputtering stupidly and wondering just when he became a tongue-tied git around girls rather than the suave ladies man he used to be, it finally hit him when she laughed up at the deer-in-a-headlight look he was currently wearing: _shit, he had it bad for her._

"Relax you, I was kidding." Lightly touching his arm she continued, "My dad runs a bar back in Boston so as a little girl he used to bring me to work with him on Sundays and while he was working, the regulars used to teach me bar games, mostly darts but I'm a fair hand at pool. Not exactly the best place to raise a kid but I like to think I turned out ok."

Smiling down at her, he lightly touched her face and leaned close to whisper in her ear, "Nah love, you turned out perfect." Feeling her face burn at both his words and his touch, she felt her breath catch in her throat, _I am fucked,_ she thought. The two stood there, lost in their own world until they heard a cough come from Terry.

"Erhm, you might want to tack on two more o' these to your order bruv, looks like Bovver has finally shown his ugly mug around 'ere." Josie glanced over to where the boys were seated and saw Keith had joined them along with another man. At that moment the guy looked up at her, saw her standing close to Pete and she watched as his face turned to a stony glare.

"Whose tha-.." The question died on her lips because at that instant Pete's face had broken into a large grin and he was grabbing a couple of the pint glasses and motioning for her to do the same.

"My best mate, come on then, I want you to meet 'im." Glancing back at Terry she saw a grim look on his face as he handed her the pints.

"Careful love, Bov isn't a fan of outsiders, even beautiful ones such as yerself." Blushing slightly and feeling her nerves on fire she grabbed the pints, took a deep breath and began to walk back to the boys' table.

"Alright there you? Lemme at one o' those pints." Smirking down at Swill she watched as he tried to grab for the drink and she playfully moved it slightly out of his reach, just as she'd done a few nights earlier.

"Oi, I don't like this game at all gorgeous. Pint me, please!"

"Aw, mean boy, you don't let me have any fun!" Pouting slightly she handed the beer over to Swill and he gave her a cheesy grin in return. Smiling back at him she glanced over again at the man they were calling Bovver.

"Hey Joze, come 'ere, want you to meet someone." Looking over she saw Pete smiling at her and beckoning her towards him. Feeling her stomach drop, she slowly walked over feeling slightly reassured when Pete pulled her to him, loving the way she fit perfectly in the crook of his arm.

"Bov mate, this is Josie, 'member the Yank I told you about." _So he'd been telling people about her, huh?_ At least now she knew she wasn't the only one in too deep.

Josie shyly looked up at the grim face staring back at her and offered a hand which Bovver looked down at with disdain then turned his back on, continuing to talk to the rest of the boys as though she wasn't even standing there. Standing there shell-shocked she felt Pete tighten his arm around her and give her shoulder a quick squeeze. A low growl emanated from him as he went to go at Bovver instead he felt Josie stop him as she smiled up softly at him.

"Forget it Pete, you can't please everyone all of the time. I'm gonna take off, yeah?" Turning to grab her coat and bag she went to leave when another voice stopped her.

"I don't think so love, you're gonna park your cute little bum right 'ere next to me, we're gonna rip the piss outta Bovver until he either hits us or cracks a grin at you, and you're gonna buy us some more pints cause after that shit you pulled: you owe us." Gratefully looking back at Dave she gave a shrug and a smile, allowing herself to be dragged back over to the table by Swill who deposited her in the seat next to Dave while Pete squeezed in next to her.

"_Fineee_, I guess I can be persuaded to stay a little longer, have a few more drinks and maybe beat the pants off you girls in some cricket." Giving a grin to the table that didn't reach her eyes she felt her heart pound at the way Bovver glared at her. As they all talked and laughed she felt his eyes boring into her and she began to question if she'd made the right decision or not. With a slight jump she smiled at Pete as she felt his hand take hers underneath the table and give it a slight squeeze. Feeling herself start to relax she figured she could handle just about anything, as long as she was nestled next to Pete while he wore that smile just for her.

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**Gold star to anyone who can identify where the dart idea came from.**

**& of course any reviews would be a delight!**


	6. Decisions, Decisions

**Here's another chapter for you - things will be starting to pick up from here! Enjoy :)**

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"Wow – you uh, look tired Josie posey." Emma gazed down at Josie who was slumped down in her chair, looking a little green and drinking a massive coffee. On the other hand, Emma looked as though she'd just woken up from an 18 hour sleep in a bath of milk and honey, blonde hair brushed straight to perfection and her blue eyes shining brightly.

"That's just a euphemism for 'you look like shit.' So thanks for that." Glaring back at Emma she took a sip of her coffee and cringed as her head pounded with the slight movement. Clinging onto the desk Josie was beginning to regret her Monday night, late-night with the boys. She knew she looked the part too: her hair was pulled back in a messy sort of bun, huge bags hung under her brown eyes and she glanced down at her white shirt only to see she'd dribbled coffee down the front of it.

"Bit of a late night with your hooligan?" Emma's blue eyes sparkled knowingly at Josie as the other girl chose to reply by sticking her tongue out at her which garnered a loud laugh that again caused Josie's head to ache. Fighting down a rush of nausea she started back at Emma.

"He's _not_ a hooligan. He's a sweet guy - just a little rough around the edges."

"Hmph, famous last words love. Just be careful, babe…" Emma stared sternly at Josie while she simply rolled her eyes, "I'm serious. You've been smitten since he knocked you on your arse and I just have a weird feeling about the two of you. No good can come of this."

"Smitten? What are you, my 85 year-old Nana? He's just a guy that I've met a couple times. Besides, what's it to you?" Biting down on her lip, Josie immediately realized her mistake when Emma narrowed her eyes at her.

"What's it to me? Oh I don't know Joze," giving a vicious laugh she continued, "how about I've been your only friend since you came to England? How about I think you're making a really stupid fuckin' decision by pursuing something with him? You're too trusting; you have no _idea_ what kind of person he could be."

"Its _fine._ Let it go Em." Glaring back at her, Josie crossed her arms stubbornly across her chest, "I'm not a little kid; I can make my own decisions plus you don't even know him." Looking up at her, Emma simply stared thoughtfully back at her for a few moments, her face losing all edge to it.

"Neither do you pet, neither do you." Emma turned on her heel to walk away while Josie simply dropped her head to her desk with a thud. She'd never done anything in her life that she wasn't sure of but truth be told, the argument with her friend rattled her and she was starting to question whether or not this thing with Pete was such a good idea.

* * *

"That was bang outta order mate. There was no need to pull that shit with Josie – you didn't even give 'er a chance, bruv." Pete, Bovver and the rest of the boys were seated on Dave's couch in a competitive game of FIFA and Bovver chose to respond to Pete's comment by throwing the controller at him and walked into the kitchen to grab another beer.

"Yeah mate, what the fuck? We get that she's a Yank but she's a _female_ Yank and they don't count. Plus, she's fit as fuck, let it go and stop actin' like a twat." Pete looked up at Swill and glared a little, already feeling a little too overprotective of Josie; it was hard for him to not think of her as his.

"Female Yank or not, she's still a Yank." Pointing an accusing finger in Pete's direction, Bovver continued, "Jesus Pete, word gets out our 'fearless leader' has been taken in by a Yank and we're all fucked. You better get your priorities straight before you decide to get your balls removed and start playin' house with your _Josie_."

Her name came out of his mouth as though it was filth and Pete felt his fists clench at his side. Looking up at Bovver he saw the smug, slightly cruel grin he was wearing and bit back a bitter reply, instead opting to try to appease him and just end the conversation before it got out of hand.

"Oi mate, what are you on about? Who said anything about playin' house with her? It aint nothing – just a bit of a bubble is all. And Swills right, she's fit as fuck, that's all I'm after." Feeling his heart clench Pete looked away from the rest of the boys. Pete tried to shake off the whole conversation and the feeling it'd left him with, _What'd they know anyways_? It was none of their damn business what his intentions with Josie were – leader of the GSE or not.

* * *

The week passed by in a haze, Josie spent her days at the museum where Emma was currently giving her the cold shoulder and her nights at the Abbey, always finding herself glancing around the room for Pete, who also seemed to be MIA. Feeling weighed down and lonely, Josie glanced over to one of the tables to see it had recently been vacated and she went over to clear off the dishes. Friday night and she was working, _sweet - so much for any type of social life. _She must have been deluding herself when she'd thought she fit in with Pete and the boys.

Unbeknownst to her, Pete was currently pacing back and forth outside of the Abbey, glancing in at her through the window and fingering his phone, her number highlighted. She had given it to him before she'd left to go home on Monday night and Pete had been fighting with himself as to whether or not to call her ever since the argument with Bovver. Did he dare bring her into his world? He knew it could potentially destroy the GSE, but he also knew, with absolute certainty, that it would kill him if he didn't give himself a fair shot at something with Josie.

Feeling a slight vibration in her back pocket she pulled out her cell phone, forgetting she'd shoved it in there at the start of her shift. Glancing down at the unknown number she momentarily debated ignoring it before deciding against that, thinking it could be her dad or one of her brothers.

"Hello?" Pinning the phone between her ear and shoulder, Josie continued to clean up the table as she waited for an answer, grimacing slightly at the old ketchup she'd just stuck her finger in.

"Miss me, gorgeous?" Feeling a stupid grin break on her face and her heart flutter, she paused for a moment.

"Swill? That you? Of course I missed you! I haven't been able to get you outta my head since Monday, I can't believe you made me wait so long before calling, you bad boy."

Hearing a low growl come through the phone she laughed loudly, drawing some looks from the few men that were currently in the pub, "I'm kidding, _Pete_, I've missed you terribly. Ya know having just met you and all and barely knowing you but I've been an emotional wreck without you by my side."

"Sarcasm? How cute. Any chance you can sneak outta there without Terry noticing? That table looks pretty clean already." With a start, Josie began glancing around the room until she caught Pete's gaze through the window of the Abbey, seeing him standing just outside the door she grinned back at him.

"Well, well, well aren't you just full of creepy surprises." Smirking back at him, she switched off her phone waiting for him the come through the door. Turning back to finish up the table she felt him appear at her side before actually seeing him.

"Very funny, now since I've been less than gentlemanly by not calling you sooner, I'm going to charm Terry in to let you out of work early, take you home so you can change then I'm going to take you out to dinner for a proper date." Smiling down at her, he saw her brown eyes widen in surprise at him and he felt a tug at his heart. _Fuck me, no turning back now._

"I'll believe it when I see it; I'm the only one on with Terry tonight, I doubt he'll be letting me out." Pete gave a smug smile as he glanced around the nearly empty bar and turned over his shoulder to see Terry watching the two of them questioningly.

"Oi Terry! How's about letting Ms. Josie off early so I can take this pretty little thing out on a date?" Terry laughed back at the pleading look on Pete's face and threw a huge grin at him, giving a quick nod. Josie's mouth dropped open slightly and she felt her heart swell, a date with Pete Dunham? _Why not?_

* * *

"Oi, what're you doin' in there, miss? You're gorgeous enough as it is, you don't need all this primping." Pete was seated in Josie's small living room; waiting for her while she showered and changed for their date. Feeling thrilled just at the thought of a real date with her, Pete laughed to see Josie stick her middle finger up at him around the corner.

Taking the time to look around her small apartment he began to examine the dozens of photos that were scattered around the room. Most had Josie in them in one form or another, one with a group of men who all shared similar features his eyes drank in the sight of her sandwiched between the four men, all of them at least a foot taller than her. He smiled to himself at a picture of Josie on skates in an oversize hockey jersey and he examined the way her eyes seemed to sparkle and the huge grin she wore on her face.

"I'm quite the hockey player, ya know? So don't mess about or I'll have to kick the shit outta you, kay?"

Turning at the sound of her voice, he noticed she'd managed to sneak up on him while he was engrossed in looking around the room. Taking her in completely he felt his heart thud, she was unbelievable. A simple purple top coupled with a black skirt that reached to just above her knee, hair curled perfectly down her back and her brown eyes seemed to sparkle even brighter than usual. Realizing he'd been quiet long enough for an awkward silence to fill the room he broke it with a quick laugh at her.

"Is that right then? Rambo _and_ a scary hockey player, who knew?" Smirking back at her she took the photo of her and the four men into her hands, pointing to each one as she spoke.

"Verrrry funny. This is my family: that's my dad there, and my three brothers: Eamon, Ronan and Colin. And that's our bar in the background there." Peering closer at the photo he saw a slightly run-down looking pub in the background "Murphy's" emblazoned over the top of it. "It's not much to look at but it's ours. A little rundown on the outside but inside its top notch and with the best staff you could find." Smiling at the sound of pride in her voice, he looked back down at the photo.

"Grew up in a bar? I shoulda known. And Jesus, and will you look at that. They're all giants 'cept you, the wee little midget between them. You must get it from your mum, any pictures of her around?" Craning his head to look around for a picture of Josie and an older woman he realized his mistake when her face turned sheet white and she bit down on her lip slightly.

"Oh, uh well, I don't really have one, a mum that is. Well I suppose I have one but in my book I don't. She left us when I was three; still out there somewhere, hell if I know where, Timbuktu for all I give a shit. Just me and my boys, we're well short of her though. The four of them always say I'm the only woman they need in their lives." Feeling her eyes begin to water a bit, Josie glanced away from Pete's intense stare. Without thinking he reached out and pulled her to him, squeezing her tight and feeling like a royal idiot for even asking.

Rubbing her back softly and taking in her sweet smell that reminded him of apples, he pulled away slightly to look at her, "I'm sorry Joze, I feel like an absolute wanker."

"Oh stop, how were you supposed to know? Besides, it's out first date: if we aren't both chewing on the foot in our mouths by the end of the night, it won't have been a success. Live and learn, yeah?" Grinning up at him she reluctantly left his arms to grab her shoes and bag, happy it was warm enough to be out without a coat. Pulling on a pair of black, pointed heels she walked back over to Pete watching his blue eyes take her in and she felt her heart pound at the way he was looking at her.

"Ready?" Taking his outstretched hand, she allowed Pete to lead her out of her apartment, both of them feeling the anticipation of the night running through their veins.

* * *

"You must think I am one cheap bloke." Josie looked up across the table, pausing from the piece of pizza she was currently eating.

"Why?" Tilting her head to the side quizzically Pete gazed back at her, feeling a smile pull at his lips.

"We're at a Pizza Hut for our first date! You look absolutely brilliant and I take you to Pizza Hut. Bet you go into work and tell that poncey lookin' bird about the 'orrible date you had with a hooligan on Friday night."

Josie returned his smile softly, "Pete, its perfect. I may try to look the part but I'm not exactly one of those high-class type girls. I was born in South Boston, grew up in a bar and have three hockey playin' hooligans for brothers. This is perfect, I promise. Besides it's not exactly your fault, you just didn't plan on everywhere in London being packed tonight and I was too hungry to wait for any extended period of time, being the impatient brat that I am. So like I said, Pizza Hut is perfection."

"Perfect huh? Well I'm glad your standards are so low, less of a chance I'll disappoint you." Pete smiled back at her slightly, "Now tell me more about this South Boston place you grew up in, I've never 'eard of it." Josie took a minute to finish her slice of pizza, took a sip of her beer before leaning back in her chair thoughtfully.

"Well, there's not much to tell. It's a neighborhood of Boston, lots of Irish-Americans, including my family; lots of pubs, including ours. We live in the apartment above the bar but my brothers are all moved out now and I'm here, so it's just my dad there now. All four of us went to Boston University, the boys played hockey there, Ronan just made the big show and me coming to London was the first time I ever left the States. So that's pretty much it. Now what about you, my little hoodlum? Come on, life story – spill it."

Raising an eyebrow, Pete looked back at her, "'That's pretty much it?' I don't think so love, you're just trying to change the subject."

"Huh, am I that transparent?" staring back at him, she sighed, "Fineee, what else do you want to know?"

"Let's start with war studies? How'd that happen – sweet girl like you, I don't really picture you as a warmonger." Josie bit down on her lip again; Pete noticed how she seemed to do that every time she was thinking deeply about something and he felt his stomach do another flip.

"There's an odd time period every spring where there are no sports on TV: hockey and basketball are finished, baseball hasn't started – it's the reason Sports Illustrated started doing the swimsuit issue, which I'm sure you're familiar with." Giving him a smirk she continued, "So my dad used to show old military movies in the pub: _The Longest Day_, _Patton_, _the Dirty Dozen_, etc. I got hooked, I loved the grainy quality, the battle scenes, everything. When I got to university I decided to study Political Science, I found out about the War Studies department at King's College when I was a sophomore and decided to work my ass off so that I could get a scholarship and complete my dream. So here I am – 15 years after I first watched those old movies and fell in love with war, living in London, sitting across from you at a Pizza Hut on a Friday night."

Josie leaned back in her chair once again and began to drum her fingers on the table, "Your turn, I'd like your life story now please." Laughing at the way she requested his story as though it was for another piece of pizza he leaned towards her when the waitress interrupted.

"You need anything else? Another drink, more pizza, maybe another phone number?" Josie's mouth dropped at the nerve of the girl in front of her as she watched her twirl a piece of her platinum blonde-dyed hair around her finger while looking at Pete as though he was her next meal. Taking in her snaggletooth and the forward way she was shoving her breasts in his face Josie glared up at her.

Pete stared at the girl as though he couldn't quite believe the question she'd just asked and was about to reply when Josie answered icily, "He's all set actually: he already has my number and I'd appreciate you not hitting on my date or shoving your lopsided tits in his face. We'll take the check now, please and thank you." Pete bit back a laugh at Josie as he watched her eyes narrow and her face turn beet-red, seeing her get so riled up turned him on more than any other girl he'd ever met.

"Just thought I'd offer, doubt he'd be satisfied with an uptight twat like you." The waitress slammed their check down on the table and turned to storm off while Josie leapt to her feet to follow but was stopped by Pete blocking her. Josie felt her blood pounding in her ears and tried to shove Pete out of her way to get at the snaggletooth, she'd never felt so angry or so jealous in her life.

"Hey, hey – relax!" Pete clamped her arms to her sides and lifted her off her feet, depositing her back into her seat and kneeled down in front of her. "Believe me – I'm certainly not trading down for that rude bird over there." Josie finally stopped struggling against his strong form and dropped her head, a blush replacing the heat from her anger.

"I'm so sorry, that was wicked embarrassing. I just can't believe the fuckin' gall of that girl. I mean, it'd have been one thing if I was in the bathroom and you were alone but I was sitting _right there_. Whatta whore." Smirking down at her, he glanced at the check before throwing done a few bank notes then took her hand, pulling her into his arms.

"Come on you, let's get the hell out of here before that bird comes back and tries to steal me away from you." Pulling her gently out of the restaurant he held onto her tight as they passed their waitress and Pete laughed as Josie gave the girl a satisfied smirk and stuck her tongue out her.

"What are you, five?" Pete asked, "Honestly, who sticks their tongue out at people now-a-days?"

"Who hits on people's dates now-a-days?" Josie shot back at him, "It was fully warranted. Though, I should have hit her.", tapping her lip deep in thought, Josie momentarily contemplated going back in and dragging that blonde bimbo out into the street by the tips of her fried hair.

"Have you ever hit anyone before?" Looking down at her, she gave him a thoughtful look.

"Does it count that I once punched my brother in the face when I was seven because he beat me in Super Mario Brothers III and then proceeded to do a jig around the room so I tripped him mid step and broke his nose? Come to think of it, that one punch caused me to lose my Nintendo privileges for life." Bursting out laughing he pulled her toward him then turned her to face him.

"I stand by my initial diagnosis – you are bloody insane but I'm gonna go out on a limb and tell you I like it." Pete gazed down at her and touched her face lightly; she stared at him with wide eyes and he leaned towards her slowly, giving her time to pull away before capturing her lips with his. Josie leaned into him and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling him pull her flush against his body. Pete deepened the kiss, running his hands down her sides until she broke away from him after what seemed like an hour long sunlit moment.

"Jesus." Still locked in his arms, Josie stared up at him with a blank face and Pete's heart momentarily stopped, _shit – too soon_. "Let's try that once more just to make sure." Standing on tip-toes, Josie gave Pete a soft, sweet lingering kiss before pulling away and smiling up at him, still silent and biting her lip in thought.

Pete felt his heart pounding in his chest, the air surrounding them thick with tension, "You make up your mind yet Yank? I'd like to know so I can do one of two things: a) go back inside to tell snaggletooth I'm available or b) kiss you all I want and start to tell Swill you're mine so he can just keep his chubby mitts off you."

"Yours, huh?" Wrapping her arms around his neck and softly rubbing the nape of his neck, Josie lifted her face closer to his, "I suppose that'd make you mine, so I guess I can handle that; plus you're, what's the phrase? Fit as fuck." Laughing slightly, he leaned in to close the short distance between them, capturing her lips with his again.

Josie was _his_ – and he certainly liked the sound of that.

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**Liking it? Hating it? Any review would be a delight!**


	7. Close Encounters

**Whew, this is been a long time coming. So sorry for the delay, I wrote THREE versions of this chapter before I ended up with this and I'm not still not completely sure if I'm satisfied or not. **

**As always thank you to my few reviewers and story alerters - you make my day any time I get the alert email! Special thanks to the reviewers: Goddess247, Niffer01, Steffy-Michelle & Writer By Nature.**

**  
Keep it up and even if there's just one reader out there who wants me to continue, I will :) **

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The blaring sound of Josie's alarm clock caused her to jump slightly and roused her from a deep sleep. She shielded her eyes slightly at the dull light coming through the window and chose to nestle deeper into her down comforter rather than face the rainy weather and the thought of the entire day working at the Abbey. However, thinking of the Abbey caused her thoughts to immediately stray to Pete.

_Last night_. Giving a soft, contented sigh Josie thought of her date with Pete. After dinner (and that first amazing kiss) they had decided to go get a few pints to-go and had spent the remainder of the evening sitting on a bench by the Thames, with her legs draped across his knees as she'd laid back, staring up at the sky. The conversation had seemed never-ending and her heart pounded thinking about how comfortable she was with him. Remembering the warmth that had come from being so close to him and the way her heart seemed to flip every time he'd gently rubbed her knee caused Josie to heave a deep sigh and finally will herself out of bed knowing if she continued down that particular train of thought she'd never get out of bed.

Touching her feet lightly to the ground she immediately cringed as her feet hit the cold tile. Mentally cursing herself for still having put off buying a rug for the floor and not for the first time, wondering why someone would ever put tile in a bedroom she sped quickly into the bathroom.

Jumping into the shower quickly she felt an unexpected pang of homesickness. The thrill of the past week had caused her to momentarily forget how much she missed home. The distance from her family had been taking its toll on her prior to that fateful day at the museum but the new distraction of Pete had considerably dulled those feelings that were now flooding back into her heart. She felt the old dull ache in her soul from having left her father and brothers. They had told her to go but she couldn't shake the thought that she had deserted them. Ever since her mom had left them Josie had felt responsible for her family and had been worried sick about how they were coping without her.

Washing the conditioner out of her hair and hurrying out of the shower, Josie glanced at the clock seeing it was just after nine o'clock. Quickly figuring it was just after four in the morning at home Josie still grabbed her phone and hit the speed dial one.

"Ello? Babygirl, that you?" Josie smiled at the sound of her dad's gruff voice, feeling only slightly guilty about having woke him up so early.

"Hi daddy, sorry I woke you. I'm just on my way out to work and I wanted to call to say hi, sooo hi!"

"I'd never begrudge a phone call from my girl. How's that country treatin' you? The people at the pub nice? You stayin' safe? I didn't really like the look of that place you'd shown me you picked out to live, seemed a bit sketchy if ya ask me." Josie rolled her eyes slightly, feeling the relief flood into her at the familiar string of questions he fired at her and the light worry that laced her dad's voice.

"Oh Da, you worry too much. I'm gettin' along fine. Listen, I'll let you get back to sleep. I just wanted to make sure you were…ok." Allowing her voice to trail off lamely, she bit down slightly on her lip waiting for the inevitable lecture to come.

"Joze stop worrying, I'm fine. It's _you_ we're all worried about, none of the boys have heard from you in about a week. That's not like you; normally we have to tell you to leave us alone and to live your own life. What's goin' on? Everything all right?" Cringing at the concern in his voice Josie sighed into the phone, wondering whether or not she should share the events of the past week. It wasn't like her to keep things from her family and she felt the guilt bubble in her stomach as she made her decision.

"It's nothing daddy. Go back to sleep, love you." She twirled a piece of hair as she heard her dad sigh heavily into the phone, "Alright doll, love you too. Call the boys will ya? We miss you."

"Miss you too daddy, sleep tight." Hearing the click of the phone disconnecting Josie sighed once again, keeping things from her family? That wasn't like her at all. Not for the first time, Josie questioned whether or not this thing with Pete was such a good idea.

Pulling on her sneakers she threw an old sweatshirt over her head, throwing the hood over her hair to shield her from the rain as she walked out into the grim London streets with a heavy heart. Even the thought of the possibility of seeing Pete today couldn't shake the weighed down, lonely feelings that seemed to have settled in her soul after her talk with her dad.

Most girls had tons of best friends, ones they'd grown up with or ones they'd met in college. Josie had never had time for anyone but her family. If she wasn't struggling with paying her tuition or helping her dad at the pub then she was studying. She'd never needed anyone but her dad and brothers. Now, some boy (well, man really) had strolled into her life and completely thrown her for a loop. So much so, that for the first time in her life she was keeping things from her family.

Heaving a deep sigh she glanced across the street to see that she had reached her destination. Wishing she had more time to sort through her own thoughts she took a peek at her watch only to see that she was a few minutes late as she hurried across the road to get out of the rain.

* * *

Contrary to the manner in which Josie had woken Pete's eyes opened of their own volition, snapping out of a delicious dream he'd been having in which Josie had been laying next to him in bed, brown-gold curly hair scattered over his pillow and swimming in one of his old West Ham t-shirts he heaved a deep sigh. _Christ, now it wasn't only when he was awake that she wouldn't leave his thoughts, she'd seeped into his subconscious as well. _

_What was it about her? _Even as Pete asked himself that question memories from last night came flooding back to him: the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed, how she bit down on her lip whenever she was contemplating something, the light constellation of freckles that he'd noticed dancing across her bare shoulders as well as the ones dusting the bridge of her nose. Everything about her seemed familiar and a mystery all at the same time.

Pete's mind strayed back to her freckles, groaning as he wondered where else he might find them on her slight body. Swinging out of his bed, he quickly made his way into the shower, knowing a cold one was in order.

The frigid water streamed over his body and he felt himself calming down, though his thoughts still remained solely on Josie. After a few minutes he leapt out of the shower and as he toweled off he heard the sound of his phone. Hurrying out of the bathroom he reached it just as it stopped ringing.

"_Fuck_." Swearing loudly into the silence of his room he clicked through his recent calls to see both Bovver and Dave had already called and it was just gone 10:30. What could they possibly want this early on a Sunday? The message indicator on his phone blinked back at him and he saw both men had left messages.

Bovver's voice came through first, "Oi Dunham, where da fuck 'ave you been? Headin' down to the Abbey now, give us a bell will ya?" Pete gave a slight chuckle – only the unemployed think a Sunday morning is a fine time for the drink.

"Hey bruv, stopped by the Abbey last night only to find you'd already been in and out and had taken home a prize. Bov just called and is headin' there now so I'll see you in a few. We expect all the gory details mate, so don't dodge us." Dave's message caused the smile to fall from Pete's face, he may want Josie for himself but it seemed the rest of the boys would have a thing or two to say about that.

He'd never had a steady girl; it'd been more like a line of bedmates rather than anything serious. Pete had the sense of mind, even in the privacy of his own home, to feel slightly ashamed at the way he'd gone about pulling girls before. Not for the first time Pete questioned whether he was right to pursue anything with Josie. Between his own inadequacies coupled with his involvement in the GSE, he knew that in the end, someone would end up hurt but fuck if he was going to give up on whatever it was they'd already started.

Throwing on a dark sweater over his jeans he grabbed his long trench and quickly strode out of his apartment. Pulling his collar up high to cover his neck against the rain he rubbed his hands together, knowing he would be seeing Josie soon and he couldn't stop the pang in his heart knowing that he'd never be able to stay away from her for too long.

As Pete walked quickly to the Abbey he mulled over what the possible outcomes of a relationship with Josie would be. He came up with three options: a) they'd have some fun and in a year she'd go back to the States; b) he'd fall in love with her (& if he was being completely honest with himself he was already pretty much there) or c) she'd end up hurt by his involvement in the GSE. Unfortunately, he was almost positive that it was going to be some mix of those three and that gave him no relief from his troubled thoughts.

Finally reaching his destination, he looked through the window as he passed by it and the sight of Josie standing talking to Terry immediately wiped all thoughts from his mind. He couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from her. Or think when he had her in his sight.

"Aye aye bruv, whatchu doin' standin' out here?" Pete looked up, startled by the arrival of Swill and Ike. Managing to wrench his gaze away from Josie he gave them both a lopsided grin.

"Just enjoyin' our beautiful English weather. Pint?" The two men eyed him suspiciously as their eyes followed his through the window where, luckily for Pete, Josie had just disappeared out of sight. Giving a casual shrug of his shoulders Pete pushed through the door with Swill and Ike closely following him.

Pete's eyes immediately swept the room, searching for Josie until he heard a distracting "Aye Aye boys!" coming from their usual corner where Bovver and Dave were already seated, rows of pints already lined up waiting for them. Giving another glance towards the bar he saw Josie was nowhere in sight as he quickly moved towards the corner table, taking the open seat at the head of the table. His eyes continued to be drawn towards the bar, wondering if he'd imagined seeing Josie standing there.

"Ah, lets 'ear it mate! You've got lots of sharin' to be done." Pete gave a startled look in the direction of Dave's voice and realized he must have looked like a deer in headlights by the smirks that were shot in his direction from all the boys – all except Bovver.

"From the sounds of it – you went hunting last night and caught yerself a bird." Swill gave a foolish grin as he tried to take a huge gulp of his pint and managed to dribble half of it down his shirt. Pete looked at him for a long moment before he burst out laughing.

"Hunting? Caught a bird? What'd you stay up all night comin' up with that one?" Throwing an empty peanut shell at Swill, Pete laughed as Swill managed to splash more beer down the front of his shirt. Leaning back in his chair he arched an eyebrow at Bovver who was currently shooting daggers at him. "Problem mate?"

"Nah bruv…" Bovver threw a quick glance over at the bar and shoved out of his chair quickly before any of the boys could say a word, walking towards the bathroom.

"What's his deal?" Pete glared at the door of the men's room that had slammed shut with the force of Bovver's hand.

"Dunno mate, he's been a right prick for the past week. Heh, you don't think he's jealous, do yah?" Ike looked questioningly at Pete, whose eyes remained on the door, staring at it thoughtfully.

"Eh, you know Bov, he's always had it in for Yanks. Just wish he'd fuckin' behave 'imself, Joze doesn't deserve his shit." Pete continued to stare at the closed door, trying to figure out just what Bovver's problem could be until he was distracted by the sound of Dave loudly (and obnoxiously fake) clearing of his throat.

"Soo, things with Ms. Josie seem to be progressing along at an astounding rate. 'Ow'd it go last night?" Pete rubbed his temples in slight frustration before looking up at the three expectant faces. To be fair Dave, Ike and Swill were the three who were always pushing Pete to actually date girls rather than use them in his usual manner so he supposed they deserved some type of explanation as to what was going on.

"Well, I came by last night and Terry let her off early so I took her out." Giving a slight shrug of his shoulders he leaned forward to grab his pint letting out a groan of aggravation when Dave quickly snatched it out of his reach.

"Don't think so bruv, we need more details besides 'I took her out.' Namely: how her legs look in a skirt, cup size and just where else she's got freckles." Dave wagged his eyebrows at Pete suggestively and he felt his blood begin to boil as he glared at Dave. He clenched his fists while trying to remind himself this was Dave, but it was hard to keep this in mind when his words had infuriated him to the point of contemplating the many ways he could cause grave bodily harm to him.

Before Pete got the chance to respond one way or the other a loud crash resounded from the store room downstairs. The boys looked up startled only to see Terry bolting from behind the bar in the direction of the sound with Pete quickly on his feet following him.

* * *

"Joze?" Ignoring the sound of Terry's voice Josie chanced a quick look to the corner of the bar where she saw two sets of eyes staring at her – one set crinkled in affection, the other glaring boldly at her, not even trying to hide his disdain.

She cringed and sighed before looking up at him from the pints she was currently pouring for the two men, "Yea Terr, what's up?"

"Lemme finish those off. Why don't you head downstairs and do inventory? You look like you'd rather be anywhere but in the line of Bovver's glare right about now." Josie felt her face flush an even deeper shade of red as she shot a quick, thankful smile in his direction before walking to the end of the bar and through the door that was adjacent to the men's bathroom that led to the store room.

Walking slowly down the short staircase to the storeroom Josie let out a deep sigh at the sight of the boxes of liquor bottles waiting to be counted and put away. She felt her cheeks losing the heat from earlier and her breathing returned to normal. The look on Bovver's face was enough to send a girl into a panic and most certainly not in a good way.

Josie wiped her sweaty palms down the front of her shirt before diving into one of the full boxes and beginning to count and stack them on the shelves, marking the numbers in the faded notebook that remained the sole form of Terry's bookkeeping.

She quickly became engrossed in her work until she felt the odd feeling she was being watched. Josie whipped around to see Bovver standing in the doorframe, leaning against it while smoking a cigarette and throwing a sneer in her direction. Her first reaction was to shiver at his obvious hatred for her and the second was blinding anger.

"What in the _hell_ do you think you're doing down here? Get. Out." Josie felt her jaw clench as Bovver looked her up and down and she felt the hand she currently had clenched around a large bottle of vodka begin to shake violently.

"Just thought it was bout time we 'ad a little chat, seein' as you're hell bent on takin' down ol' Petey boy. Just thought I'd help ya get to know 'im better. See – he don't do dating, he's more of a fuck and run type." Josie watched in anger as he took a long drag of his cigarette and took a few steps towards her. Not being one to shy away she stepped forward, feeling her breath come in short gasps.

"Now you listen to me and you listen _sharpish_. I don't give a shit what you think of me. I don't care if Pete has screwed half the girls that frequent this joint. Fuck, I don't even care if you think I'm the ugliest one he's ever taken a liking to. All I know is nothing I do with Pete is any concern of yours. So just stay the hell away from me." Josie threw her hands forward to push him back, dropping the bottle of vodka in the process and jumping back in shock as the bottle smashed loudly to the floor, splattering liquor all over the floor of the storeroom.

"Well well well, seems kitty's got claws. Keep in mind, _love_," Bovver sneered at the word and his voice dripped with venom, "me and the boys were 'ere first so Pete may be all lovey-dovey with you now but you hear me: we don't like outsiders. Got it?" The two of them stood locked in a glare that was quickly interrupted by the arrival of Terry and the very object of their little 'conversation.'

"Bovver – what in the hell are you doin' down here? Get out now." Terry was quickly during a deep shade of purple, seeming to be fighting with himself to keep his temper in check. "I mean it, get the fuck away from her and keep it that way, understood?"

Bovver gave a casual shrug of his shoulders before moving towards the door. Pete's large frame filled it completely and Bovver surged past him, knocking his shoulder into Pete's roughly. Josie looked up as Pete grabbed hold of Bovver's arm and she just barely heard him mutter through clenched teeth, "We'll be talkin' bout this later mate."

Josie watched as Bovver shook off Pete's grasp to hurry up the stairs, waiting anxiously for him to turn towards her so she could try to read his face. As he looked back at her, Josie sucked in a quick breath feeling her heart pound at the anxious look of concern Pete was wearing. Biting her lip softly she tried to give him a soft smile but it came out as more of a grimace.

"Alright there gorgeous?" Pete gave his signature grin that didn't quite reach his eyes and Josie sighed in relief at the already familiar words that he always seemed to be uttering to her. She didn't quite know what to expect from him: Bovver _was_ his best friend. She thought there might be truth behind his words but just seeing the look in Pete's eyes quickly erased the unease from her encounter with Bovver.

Josie gave a quick shrug of her shoulders, "I'm fine. Bovver and I were just having a little chat. My hand slipped and I dropped the bottle I'd been trying to put on the shelf." Josie looked beyond Pete's disbelieving gaze, knowing if she met his eyes he'd see right through her lie, "Sorry Terry, you can take it outta my paycheck. You shouldn't have to pay for my clumsiness."

Terry's eyes crinkled into a smile as he looked down at her, "Nah love, I'm sure you were provoked. No harm, no foul. I'll grab a mop and clean this up." Before Josie could argue that it was her job to clean up this mess Terry quickly moved up the stairs and away from her protests, leaving her in silence with Pete.

"I'm fine Pete, I swear…Bovver just startled me." Josie stared up in earnest into Pete's clear blue-eyes feeling her heart give another tug as she tried to fight the urge to lean up and press her lips against his when he did it for her. He pulled her close and clung onto her like a drowning man. It was a long moment before they broke apart, both breathless and staring into each other's eyes until another interruption appeared.

"Uh Joze, could you run upstairs? There are a few o' the old ones waitin' for a pint 'pulled by a pretty lady, not an ugly mug' as they so kindly informed me." Josie gave a slight smile at Terry as she stepped away from Pete reluctantly and moved to walk up the stairs. She quickly felt Pete's hand on the small of her back, leading her up towards the bar. Sighing again in relief, she knew this path wasn't going to be easy but she'd be damned if some surly mate who had his panties in a twist was going to get in the way of a possible relationship with Pete.

* * *

**Love it? Hate it? Wish I'd stop askin' for feedback? Wellll, let me know!**


	8. It's Official

**Right, so this is more of a filler chapter...from here things will start to pick up a bit but heres a bit more fluff for ya!**

**& as always, thank you so so much to any and all reviewers, story alerters etc. You seriously make my day :)**

* * *

"I could just fuckin' kill _him_." Pete plopped back down into his seat still seething over the sight of Josie and Bovver standing toe to toe, the sneer on Bovver's face clearly indicated what tone their _conversation_ had taken.

Dave, Swill and Ike looked up with confusion written all over their faces.

"What 'appened down there mate? We saw Bov come stormin' outta the store room, mumbling under his breath then he just took off without a word to us." Dave's reply only served to confirm Pete's worst nightmare that Bovver had clearly been attacking Josie – verbally this time but who knows what might have happened if they had interrupted. Shaking those thoughts from his head, questioning whether Bovver could ever do that he chanced a glance towards the bar.

Josie was currently hiding any emotion quite well; her face had lost most of the color that had heated her face when Pete first saw her – the only sign of nerves left was the way she was biting down on her lip while trying to feign interest in what the old ones were saying to her. She glanced up at that moment and locked eyes with him. Her face colored slightly and she gave him a quick smile before turning back to the men.

"Don't know really – Terry and I interrupted Bov havin' a 'chat' with Josie." Pete cringed slightly while thinking again about the scene he'd stumbled on.

"Ya think he was tellin' her about the GSE? Probably bankin' on it scarin' her away; he's really got it in for 'er." Pete stared in shock back at Ike realizing that was probably exactly what was going on. His eyes shot back up towards Josie and he pushed his chair back in a hurry, leaping up and rushing over to the bar.

Pete stood impatiently waiting for Josie to finish taking the lunch order of the two men sitting at the bar, clenching his hands when he saw them both sneaking peaks down her shirt. He'd have to get her to start wearing baggy turtlenecks to work or he was going to end up killing the whole lot of them.

His breath caught in his throat as she turned toward him and her brown eyes immediately lit up at the sight of him, "Hi you, more pints?" Relief flooded Pete's system as she grinned up at him, there's no way she'd be smiling if Bovver had spilled the proverbially beans.

He reached towards her, grabbing her hand gently, "Nah, I'm actually gonna head out."

Pete watched Josie intently as the smile dropped from her face and was instantly replaced with a frown. He smiled down at her as reassuringly as he could – he didn't want to leave her but he had to get his head on straight and try to figure out just what had happened between her and Bovver.

Josie's brown eyes stared back into Pete's blue ones, "Oh, well…I suppose it is a Sunday; I can't really expect you to stay here all day." She pouted a little before she was distracted by another customer's order and turned to leave, stopping when Pete grabbed her hand again, holding it securely in his.

"But I'd love to see you when you're done work tonight." Inwardly, Pete cringed. He had been meaning to play it cool, let her sweat it out a little but that hurried kiss in the storeroom had caused those plans to go right out the window. He didn't want to wait to see her again.

"Well," Pete dropped his eyes when he saw her biting her lip in concentration _Shit, she's gonna say no_. "I actually had plans for tonight but…if you don't have anything better to do you can join me."

Pete's face lit up in a huge grin when he caught sight of her bashful smile and his heart thudded painfully in his chest in anticipation of spending another evening with her, "As long as your plans weren't somethin' poncey like the opera, I'm in."

Josie threw her head back in laughter and Pete marveled at the sound of it, "Absolutely not – all you need are a pair of jeans, some sneaks & yourself of course. Come by my place around 7ish?"

"You bet, see ya then." He reluctantly let her hand drop from his and he watched her turn her smile to the waiting customers, wanting nothing more than to stay at the Abbey but he knew he had to talk to Bovver before shit got out too of hand.

* * *

Pete tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Josie to answer the door. Since the time he'd left her at the Abbey everything had pretty much gone downhill. He'd been unable to find Bovver anywhere and had spent the day anxiously searching everywhere he could think of that Bov would run to but to no avail. His mind continued to question just what was going on with him as he stood waiting for Josie.

Finally he heard the sound of footsteps behind the door and the door swung open quickly to reveal Josie in a huge yellow and black jersey with a grizzly bear on the front, hair pulled up in a messy bun and looking absolutely gorgeous. Pete felt his mouth go dry as she wrapped her arms around him in a huge bear hug.

"Soo, ready!?" Without waiting for his answer, she switched the lights of her flat off and slammed her door shut before grabbing his hand and leading him quickly down the stairs. "Hurry, hurry Petey boy or we'll miss the face-off!"

She continued to hold his hand tightly as she marched him quickly towards the tube station nearby her flat and he couldn't help but grin down at her. He gently tugged her hand to slow her down so he could talk to her.

"Oi gorgeous! Mind tellin' me where you're kidnapping me to, not like I mind that is…" Josie huffed slightly and bit back a smile while still dragging him towards the underground. Once they'd reached the stop and they were waiting for the train she finally seemed to relax and turned to stare up into his blue eyes.

His breath caught in his throat as his eyes locked with hers and he tucked a stray piece of her bangs behind her ear, "Hi." Leaning down he pressed his lips softly to hers, relishing in the warmth and he felt her lips turn up in a smile. "Now, just where is it you're draggin' me to in that ridiculous jersey."

"You, my silly English bloke, are coming with me to watch some playoff hockey." Josie's face lit up and Pete couldn't help but chuckle at her.

"Hockey, eh? The only sport for me is football missy, don't go tryin' to change that." Pete tapped her lightly on the nose as Josie's lower lip jutted out slightly in a pout and he leaned down to steal another kiss, growling slightly in frustration when she moved her lips just out of reach.

"I'm not trying to change you, you jerk, I'm just sharing my favorite sport with you…however if you'd prefer to leave you may go." Pulling away from his grasp, she waved him away with a hand before crossing her arms across her chest and setting her jaw stubbornly while Pete stared back at her before tickling her side.

"Come 'ere you, course I'm not leavin'," He wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her into the crook of his arm, "Now, tell me where it is we're goin' love." Pete inhaled deeply as the scent of apples assaulted him and he felt his whole body tingle.

"It's an American slash Canadian bar and it's the Boston Bruins in Game 5 against the Carolina Hurricanes. They're facing elimination and this is the only afternoon game which equals the only night game here which means I am going to be a nervous wreck for, ohhh the next 3 or 4 hours."

Just as she finished talking the train pulled up and she linked hands with him as they got on. They joked lightly to each other as they journeyed a few stops until Josie leapt up and again dragged Pete off the tube and shortly thereafter into a crowded bar called the Embassy.

"How clever, the _Embassy_." Pete smirked as Josie stuck her tongue out at him and shoved her way towards the bar. Once they reached it the huge grizzly bartender glared at him suspiciously before noticing Josie.

"Josephine Murphy! My little bear, you've been missed dearly come 'ere and gimme some suga." Pete placed his arm around her possessively until she leaned up on tiptoes to kiss his cheek softly before leaning over the bar to hug the older man.

"O' Danny boy, how I have missed your big ugly mug." She squeezed his cheeks playfully and grinned back at him then gestured to Pete in introduction, "this is my bo…uh, my friend Pete. He's a first-timer." A dark blush heated her cheeks as she bit her lip and Pete tried not to grin at what she'd nearly called him.

The man looked Pete up and down before offering a grin and a hand, "So, Josie's bo…,uh friend, I take it yer English? And haven't a clue as to what you're getting into with this one?" Danny gave a pointed look in Josie's direction as her face heated again and she responded by giving him the finger.

"Oh piss off, two pints o' lager puh-lease, we're paying customers here and deserve to be treated as such."

"Paying customers, eh? So you won't be hustlin' the opposition at darts so you can drink for free tonight?" Danny laughed at the glare Josie shot in his direction then turned to grab drinks for her and Pete.

"Ah, so the boys weren't the first to fall victim to that angelic face, huh love? Can't say I blame you though, who'd expect a tiny pint like you to be a shark?" Pete stared at her face, loving the color that painted her cheeks in embarrassment. More shouts of her name interrupted the two of them as he realized he wasn't the first guy to have fallen under her spell.

Lucky for his fists, they were all at least 20 years her senior and seemed to regard her as their mascot.

"So Joze, what're you thinkin'? Least the last series got rid of those obnoxious Habs fans. They seemed to take it as a personal affront that you didn't recognize their supposed greatness. But facin' elimination 'ere love - your boys are in some serious trouble." Josie simply shrugged her shoulders at him.

"I have faith in my boys, Timmy won't let me down – I swear it." Pete tried to follow the conversation back and forth however the majority of its meaning was lost on him. He listened silently, choosing instead to watch how easily Josie managed to fit in with a group of older, gruff men that most girls her age would avoid like the plague.

Pete glanced around the room and saw that most of the patrons were wearing jerseys much like Josie's however she was the only one that managed to look gorgeous in an oversized hockey sweater, granted most of the ones in jerseys were men, but still. He turned his attention back to her just in time to see her waving her arms in excitement.

"Oo, open seats at the bar and right before face off too, come on Pete! I'll see you gents at the intermission and if I hear so much as an unkind word towards my team don't think I won't be over here quick as a rabbit." Raising her glass in a slight cheers towards the men she grabbed Pete's hand once more dragging him towards two seats that had just opened up at the bar.

"Amazing, you've been in this country, what? A month now? And look at you, a group of old dirty men pantin' after you like dogs and a bartender who'd give his left eye to see you smile. What a bewitching little devil you are." He grinned down at her and pulled her stool as close to his as he could get it and relished in the way she leaned into his arms, "Now you gonna explain any o' that gibberish you was spoutin' off over there or was that all for show?"

Josie smiled up at him and tilted her head to the side in thought, "Hmm, well what do you want to know Mr. Dunham? I thought boys were supposed to know everything about every sport out there."

"For starters, everything." And with that he leaned in to listen to whatever she had to say.

* * *

"Forever blowing bubbles, pretty bubbles in the air. United! Now clap your hands in the air _three_ times." Pete and Josie were currently stumbling their way through the dark streets of London in an attempt to get back to Josie's flat. He had her slight wrists in his hands and was helping her clap while she giggled helplessly and nearly lost her balance.

Josie felt her face flush with happiness and couldn't stop another round of giggles as she stared at Pete's slightly frustrated smirk, "Silly boys who sing songs for sportssss."

"Oi, like chanting 'sieve' at a goalie every time you score a goal makes a wink o' sense." Josie just continued to giggle at Pete and she felt incapable of continuing movement – she had always been a giggly drunk. Finally she felt his arms around her as Pete threw her over his shoulder and began making his way down the street.

Josie started to squirm in his arms as she began to go over the events of the night in her head. Her voice came out muffled into his back as she asked the question she'd had on her mind all night, "I almost called you my boyfriend, ya know? I's so sorry bout dat." She felt her face flush especially when Pete stopped walking and placed her gently on the ground in front of him, his arms still locked around her.

"I wouldn't have fought you on it, Joze." Josie's eyes widened slightly at that and Pete closed the small distance between them, pressing his lips softly to hers, "Now tell me – on a scale of one to drunk, what are you?"

She tilted her head to the side in a daze, trying to process what he'd said through the shock of his lips on hers. She felt sure she'd never get used to the sensation, shaking her head like a confused puppy she smiled up at him, "Just a little tipsy, don't worry – I'll remember every embarrassing thing I've said or done in the morning."

She stared up at him as his blue eyes began to hypnotize her and her breath caught in her throat as he moved closer to her lips again, "Good…cause I'm bankin' on it."

With that he pulled her into his arms, lifting her slightly off her feet while their lips met in a searing kiss, causing Josie to feel lightheaded and as Pete pulled away she bit back a moan of frustration, "So I was thinkin' you'd like to maybe start introducin' me as your boyfriend, this time with my permission, of course."

Josie felt her face flush and she frowned slightly, "You're a charmer, eh? What a way to ask a girl out…" Pulling away from him in embarrassment she began to walk towards her apartment on slightly unsteady feet – whether it was from the booze or the kiss, she couldn't quite tell.

She only managed to make it a few steps before Pete had her in his arms again, sweeping her off her feet and carrying her bridal style down the street, "Nuh, uh missy, not gettin' away quite so quick. My first task as official boyfriend is to ferry you home, nooo walking for my princess."

Josie looked at the ridiculous determination on Pete's face and burst out laughing, "You're a

buffoon ya know that? And you're not _carrying_ me home…I have perfectly good legs."

Pete smirked down at her, "Mm, that you do love, even better than good."

"Pig!"

"Better get used to it love." Pete continued to smirk down at her as his grip tightened and he finished the sentence in his head _cause I'm not lettin' you go_.

* * *

**So a bit cheesy I know but hopefully you liked it - but it was certainly necessary so that Pete & Josie could officially get together.**

**Reviews?**


	9. The Calm Before the Storm

**Hello again! I contemplated an extra extra long chapter or a calm-before-the-storm chapter...from the title of the chapter I imagine you know which direction I went. **

**As always, thank you thank you for reviewing/reading/alerting & keep it up so that I'll keep it up :)**

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August 23, 2009

Josie's phone shrilled loudly and her eyes snapped open. She quickly scampered out of bed and over to the bureau to shut off the alarm on her phone. She glanced back at the bed to see Pete giving her a sleepy smile and beckoning her back to bed.

"Come 'ere you." His voice was rough with sleep and she sighed, knowing she needed to get home to get ready for work but as she stared into his blue eyes she skipped back to the warm bed anyways. Pete wrapped his arms around her rolling himself on top of her before kissing her softly.

"Mm, hi"

She ran her hand lightly down his jaw-line before responding, "Hi…" returning his kiss, feeling her heart flutter slightly, "Now bye. I've gotta get home and shower before work. I'll only be out of your sight for about two hours tops."

Josie tried to squirm out from under him but lay trapped under Pete's large frame, her honey-brown hair fanned out around her face. She felt Pete run his hand down the length of her body before coming to the end of the old West Ham t-shirt she was wearing, softly rubbing her bare leg, his fingers burning a trail up to her hip.

"I had a dream about you in this exact position." He kissed her lightly before moving down her neck, planting soft kisses as he went, finally laying his head on her chest.

"Oh yeah?" Her voice come out slightly strangled as his fingers continued to draw light circles on her skin.

He nodded his head as he lay across her with his eyes closed, "The night of our first date. The reality is so much better." He murmured softly.

Josie lay back as her heart finally slowed to a normal pace, they had been together for about four months now but she still got butterflies every time he looked at her, let alone kissed her. This was only the third or fourth time she'd stayed over his place but she was already finding it felt more like home that her own flat was. She seemed to fit perfectly in the crook of his shoulder and she had never slept so peacefully in the time she'd been in England as she did with him.

During moments like this she would allow herself to be honest, she knew that she'd fallen in love with Pete - he'd quickly become everything to her. It was becoming harder and harder to deny this fact out loud. Pete had been the epitome of patience with her – they had yet to even have sex yet. Josie was relieved that he seemed to be on the same page as she was as far as not screwing this up though she was having a hard time stopping herself lately.

Last night they had been very close and she knew it would happen soon. That would be the turning point – there'd be no denying she was in love with him after that.

"What's goin' on love?" Josie was startled out of her thoughts, looking down as Pete stared at her questioningly, "I know it's hard to think when I'm so close but try to pay attention." She laughed loudly before hitting him softly in the head.

"Cocky git, now gerroff me, I've got to prepare myself for a home game." Pete's eyes flashed momentarily with some emotion she couldn't put her finger on – guilt? - before his face broke into another smile. He inched up her body and she felt her entire frame flush at the motion as he gave her a kiss, deepening it quickly.

She moaned slightly before tearing her lips away from his, "Not fair, you know I get all floopy when you do that."

He arched an eyebrow at her, biting his lip to try to stop his smile, "Floopy, Joze? Wat does that even mean?"

"Oi piss off." She felt her face burning and shoved him off of her before heaving herself out of his bed, pulling off the boxers of his she'd slept in, pulling on the shorts she'd worn on their date last night and grabbing one of his ratty sweatshirts to wear home. She felt his eyes on her back and she turned to see him staring at her, desire burning in his eyes that were now a shade darker than usual. She grinned shyly at him before pulling her hair into a messy bun and walking back to the bed.

She sat on the edge of it, her eyes lingering on his bare chest before leaning in to kiss him, "You'd better be the first one at the Abbey – I mean it, like standin' outside when Terry unlocks."

"Whatever you say love," Pete twisted a stray lock of her hair around his finger before pulling her towards him for another kiss, "I'll be there."

* * *

Pete strolled across the street, thrilled at the start of another West Ham season but as the Abbey came into view his heart stalled momentarily, and his thoughts returned to where they'd been for the past few months. Far away from football and on Josie –his Josie – who was just a few feet away and he knew what he'd been trying to hide from her was about to come out. The GSE.

His mind wandered to this morning, remembering the way Josie had looked as she'd peacefully slept beside him, her small body draped across his chest. He'd never been more turned on by a girl, yet at the same time he'd never wanted to resist a girl as much as he did her. The past four months had been like a dream, he'd never stayed with one girl this long – and he'd certainly never gone this long without sleeping with a girl. But he knew she wasn't ready and he didn't mind waiting, she was worth it.

Pete felt his stomach flip at the thought of what might happen once she found out about his involvement with the GSE. Bovver had been practically gleeful for the start of the season and he felt it was more because the cat would be out of the bag soon, rather than the return of the Hammers. He'd thawed slightly toward Josie meaning he now wasn't outwardly cruel but was instead simply indifferent, choosing to ignore her very existence except to order pints.

The rest of the boys, however, loved her. Since the very first night they'd met her, they'd been smitten. There were times Pete had difficulty hiding his insane jealousy at any other man that could make Josie smile and the boys were no exception but then she'd turn those big, brown eyes on him and give him the look she only gave him and he'd feel instant relief, knowing she was his.

Pete shook himself out of his thoughts, feeling his adrenaline surge as he saw the some of the GSE coming down the street. Today, wasn't a Josie day (unfortunately), today was football day. He'd have to spin the wheel and see what happened – hell, maybe there wouldn't even be a fight. He smirked at this thought, knowing he was lying to himself; of course there would be a fight. Josie would know by the end of the night and Pete wondered how much longer he'd have a girlfriend.

"Aye, aye boys!" Pete rubbed his hands together at the gleeful faces of Dave, Swill and Ike that met him at the door.

"Alright bruv? Rumor has it the Yids are pissin' themselves just at the very thought of us. These cunts are lookin' for a fight though." Pete looked at Dave, who had a mad glint in his eyes and he draped his arm casually across his shoulder as they walked into the already half-filled pub. Pete's eyes immediately shot over to the bar to find a slightly frazzled Josie – he'd forgotten this was her first home game pub crowd.

"I'll get the first round." Pete moved towards Josie quickly before Dave stopped him.

"Looks like Bov already beat ya to it, never known 'im to buy a round in his life." Pete craned his neck over the crowd to see Bovver and Keith in the corner with a round of drinks already on the table. Dave smirked at Pete, "Go on, get yer smoochin' outta the way, it's the opener so one kiss is all ya get then its GSE time."

Pete shot a grateful look at Dave before turning his attention back to Josie. He felt his breathing shorten, _Christ she was fuckin' gorgeous_. She was currently dressed in short white shorts and a ridiculous jersey that caused a silly grin to break out on his face. He stood waiting in line for her to notice him as he watched her curly brown hair shine in the light, freckles gleaming on her pale face.

After what seemed like hours, her eyes met with his and her face broke into a wide grin, "What on _earth_ are you wearing?" He looked her up and down, pausing slightly on her smooth legs then grinning at the sight of the team name of Patriots that was stitched in the center of her chest.

He smirked as her face turned crimson, "Oh well, about _this_." She gestured down at her shirt, "Terry told me if I had a football jersey I should wear it in honor of the home opener. He threw a fit this morning when he saw me in an _American_ football jersey, he apparently thought I knew he meant West Ham jersey and I figured he was letting me be myself…seems there was some miscommunication on both parts." She shrugged her shoulders slightly and smiled up at him.

"You certainly are one of a kind, Joze. Come 'ere, Dave says I get one kiss then I have to be a man." He stuck his chin in the air, puffing out his chest as Josie laughed at back at him.

"Ya sure? I mean, your fan clubs here already, shootin' daggers at me as per usual. I seriously wouldn't want to ruin your chances with any of them by havin' you kiss me in public." She glared in the direction of a group of local girls that were currently eyeing the couple up and down – Pete in a hungry, desperate manner; Josie in a I'm-going-to-rip-you-to-shreds manner.

Pete rolled his eyes before stretching across the bar and capturing her lips with his, "Fuck 'em all." He whispered before kissing her once, twice, three times before pulling away reluctantly. "All right gorgeous, off to do my manly duties, bring us shots in ooo, about twenty minutes."

"It's not even noon yet, drunky Dunham." She scowled at him slightly while tapping her watch less wrist.

"Ah love, but it will be in ten minutes." Her eyes widened momentarily before she laughed quietly as he turned towards his mates, managing to sidestep the gaggle of girls and reached the table in record time.

"Done playin' house?" Bovver's sneer greeted Pete.

"Oi fuck off bruv, you got a problem – that's your fuckin' problem. No one else has one, so leave it out." Pete met Bovver's glare head on until the other man dropped his gaze, choosing to take a long drag of his cigarette instead. Pete smirked in slight satisfaction and took a long chug of his beer. More and more people began to gather around their table and by five minutes to twelve the place was bursting at the seams.

Pete leaned back in his chair at the head of the table, enjoying the banter and cheap jokes that the boys were throwing around and reveling in the start of another season, for once Josie wasn't at the forefront of his mind. Until two minutes later when she appeared at his table, a tray full of shots in hand. Rather than linger she gave a slight smile in his direction before returning to the bar and he felt his stomach flip again, amazed that she seemed to know he needed "man-time" today.

A few pints and a shot or two later Pete was feelin' just dandy. That was until he heard Dave interrupt his fun "So, didja warn Joze about the GSE yet?" Pete's eyes met Dave's reluctantly and he dropped his gaze guiltily.

"Aw mate, you're havin' a bubble? You told her, right? And that's why she's lettin' you be?" Swill yelled as he joined the conversation. Both he and Dave had been pushing him to explain the GSE and what it meant to him to Josie. He'd stubbornly disagreed and kept silent.

"Um, nah…decided not to." He tried to keep his voice casual but his eyes darted in panic towards the bar and Dave narrowed his eyes, recognizing the look.

"Well, it's your head mate. She's a good girl, maybe she won't dump your pathetic arse after you come home bloody and battered, where she'll take one look attcha and realizes you've been keepin shit from her." Dave ended the conversation effectively by turning to chat up one of the local girls that had joined their table and Pete was left to contemplate his fate.

His eyes unwillingly returned to the girl in question, watching her every move. He could stare at her for hours. Just then, one of the younger twats in the pub sidle up to the bar and started to chat her up. He was halfway out of his seat until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Mate, leave it. Save it for later." Ike quietly tried to calm him as Pete continued to seethe. He shook Ike's hand away, drained his pint in two gulps and shoved his way through the crowd, reaching Josie in moments.

"…after the match, you should have the pleasure of bein' takin' out by a real man." Pete overheard the tail end of the conversation, anger coursing through his veins.

He heard Josie snort in disgust, "What are you? Twelve? Piss off, you'll be goin' home with yer hand after the match." Pete let out a breath he didn't even realize he'd been holding, wondering why he'd even thought she'd say yes to that pathetic offer. He really needed to get his jealousy under control.

However, his relief was short lived when he watched the boy grab onto Josie's arm tightly and her face twisted in a grimace as she tried to break free. Pete was in the kids face in an instant, "I'd get your filthy paw off my girlfriend if I was you, bruv." The boy clearly recognized Pete as his eyes widened in horror. Pete smirked to himself, knowing no one would knowingly fuck with Josie if they knew she was dating him.

"Oi, sorry Dunham, didn't know she was your bird. I uh, was just uh…askin' how she is and uh, ya know…I…" The kid began to stutter incomprehensibly in shock, trying to apologize to Pete until he held up a hand to silence him.

"Don't fuckin' apologize to me, say sorry to her. After that. I catch you so much as looking at her again, I'll rip your arm off and beat you to death with it." Pete narrowed his eyes into a glare as the boy quickly sputtered out an apology at an amused Josie who simply nodded her head in response, her brown eyes locked with Pete's.

The kid ran off, leaving Pete to stare at Josie again, "Now do you really think that was warranted? You scared him half to death. The booze must be makin' yer head fuzzy already if you thought I'd leave you for a twat like that. You puke on me tonight, I kill you." She handed him another pint and he took it, immediately setting it down and grabbing her free hand.

"Sorry love, I just don't want anyone hurting you. Ever. Even some pipsqueak little twat of a runt that one was." Josie gave his hand a squeeze before waving him away and turning to the next customer.

"Go on Pete, Bov's glarin' over here again, 'member it's football day! Plus Terry'll have your head if he sees you over here again, he thinks you distract me and as you may have noticed, there are a few customers today." He gave her another smile before reluctantly leaving her to work.

The rest of the early afternoon passed quickly, Pete and the boys getting revved up for the match. They took off out of the pub to head towards the stadium, Pete having given a quick kiss to Josie voice slurring slightly when he told her he'd be over after the match. She'd smirked back at him, shoving him away with a laugh.

"I'm forever blowin' bubbles, Pretty bubbles in the air. United! United!" Pete strode down the road with Dave on one side and Bovver on the other, feeling light and happy, excited to see the Hammers play and anxious for the fight to follow.

* * *

**Finally getting more GSE-ie...don't worry, more to come soon & it won't be fluffy mcflufferson as its been as of late. **

**Reviews are always appreciated :)**


	10. The Storm

**Ok so it has been .er. & I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter just yet BUT I'm sure you'll let me know if its terrrible. (also sidenote: I sorta rushed writing this the past few nights once my writer's block faded and I wanted to get it out for you so PLEASE tell me of typos or general bad grammar so i can fix it!)**

**First things first, thank you thank you thank you for the reviewers of the past chapters BUT my biggest thanks go to icyeyeddragon WHO kindly answered the dart question from way way back in chapter five (Band of Brothers - a reader after my own heart that recognized it :) and just in general made my day when I read the message.**

**So this is dedicated to you all - icyeyeddragon, kayla, ithilya, niffer01 & steffy-michellehere's hopin you don't retract your comments! **

* * *

Josie's eyes wandered around the now half empty bar and sighed in relief at the sight. It was mostly old-timers left now and she began moving around the pub, picking up empty pint glasses and emptying ashtrays. Soccer – or football as she'd have to start calling it – had never really interested her much, but obviously she'd have to make more of an effort now that she was with Pete. He and the boys seemed to be mad over it and she'd never been the type of girl to get in the way of boys and their sport.

_Ah Pete_, she momentarily swooned in her head while still trying to concentrate on the task at hand though she did stop to wonder just how loaded he'd be by the time the match was over. Shaking her head she continued cleaning the tables up, cringing at the mess that had been made it what seemed like a matter of minutes.

"Oi Josey-posey, get outta la-la land and 'elp me with these, yeah?" Josie shook herself from her thoughts to see Terry loaded down with boxes of beer and she hurried over to help him. They'd been nearly wiped out during the pre-match hours.

She gave him an apologetic smile, "Sorry Terr, guess I've had my head in the clouds half the day."

Terry snorted in reply, "More like your minds been on one certain lad whose first name starts with a P and ends with an eat."

Josie raised an eyebrow at him slightly, "Seriously with that? Come on Terr, I don't have it that bad."

"Hmph any girl that accepts that boy along with the GSE has got it bad." At this, Josie glanced over at him in confusion.

"GSE? What's that?" Terry's mouth dropped open in horror and his eyes widened in surprise and he began to stutter incomprehensibly while Josie simply narrowed her eyes at him, "Too late to back out now mister, explain or I'll leave you to clean up this mess that we now call a pub."

"Uh, um…Joze this is really somethin' Pete should be tellin' you." Josie felt her heart pound in her chest, _He's been keeping something from me? _

"Well obviously he hasn't and wasn't plannin' on it but now you've mentioned somethin' you thought I already knew, _you_ are going to tell me. Now. And sharpish too please, I haven't got all day, I have a job, ya know." Terry stared at her, seeming to weigh the consequences of ignoring or telling her and as her glare became more pronounced and she tapped her foot impatiently he sighed deeply.

"Right fine love, but you didn't 'ear it from me…whatchu know about English football?"

"Erm, the basics – black and white ball, no hands, feet only and you all fall down like babies when someone nudges ya." She glanced up at Terry as he grimaced slightly at her explanation.

"Eh, good enough, but all you Yanks see is what's on the TV, you miss out on the Firm aspect."

Josie tilted her head to the side in confusion, "Hmm, firm aspect? Like, we miss out on the solid part of football?"

Terry looked at her oddly before he burst out laughing which only caused Josie to cross her arms over her chest in frustration, "Not firm with a little eff silly, Firm with a capital eff. I suppose you Yanks'd call 'em gangs but they're just staunch supporters who happen to tussle with other team's firms. West Ham's Firm is the Green Street Elite; and your Dunham is the 'ead of it."

Josie felt her mouth go dry and she only managed to strangle a few words out, "Tussle? As in fight?"

"Don' worry Joze, Dunham can take care of 'imself. You'll 'ave him back in no time and he'll be tip-top. Well, in all honesty he'll probably be bleeding but it'll stop, it always does." With that, Terry turned back to begin restocking the bar, leaving Josie shell-shocked and her mind whirling.

_How could he keep this from me?_ She thought sadly, _why doesn't he want me to know about an obviously huge part of his life? _But the longer she dwelled on it and the harder she thought about it, the angrier she got. Just who in the hell did he think he was fooling these past few months?

As the minutes ticked by the more she realized that Pete Dunham had no idea what was waiting for him. If he thought some little scrap was bad he'd never faced the wrath of Josephine Murphy.

* * *

"Goooooaaaaaallll!" Pete raised his arms over his head in victory as he kicked the empty can past Bovver and it hit the trash can of the underground. Pete swaggered forward as he reached the yellow line to wait for the train back to the Abbey. He and the boys had been wandering the underground in search of the Yids with no such long – apparently they'd been scared off back to Tottenham.

"Oi! Lookie 'ere mates – Dunham and his GSE cunts; avoidin' a scrap they was." Pete's eyes flashed across the divide of the tracks to see Jacob, the head of the Yids standing there, seven of his boys flanking him.

Pete felt his body burn with adrenaline, if a fight was what they wanted, a fight was what they'd get, "Thought you twats 'ad run back home? You lot are dumber than I thought you were to hang 'round these parts. If I was you, I'd fuck off outta here – before somethin' bad 'appens."

Jacob smirked cruelly before taking in the boys who were surrounding Pete, each one wore a matching glare and had a certain amount of uncontained glee on their faces, "Hah, bad happin' from this sad lot? Innit that a joke." He'd turned towards his firsthand mate who gave a smug grin and shot a glare directed mainly at Bovver. The two of them had serious history.

The rest of the boys erupted in shouts, curses and threats volleying across the expanse of the tracks. _Soon_.

"Well, if a fights what you want – who are we to stand in your way?" Pete smirked at the sudden movement that occurred on both sides as each took off for the stairs to meet on the street. Pete jogged up the steps, taking them two at a time before reaching the top and as his blue eyes darted around, trying to adjust to the dark when he felt a quick blow to the side of his head.

He tried to keep his eyes focused through the slight pain and he finally caught sight of a fist coming towards him, dodging it swiftly he raised his arm back before connecting with Jacob's thin face. The familiar burst of pain as his fist met bone ran up his arm. He grabbed the other guy's collar and thrust his head forward, aiming the hard part of his head to the soft area of his opponents. The resounding thud caused more adrenaline to seep into his bloodstream and his heart kicked into overdrive at the sounds of the boys in the midst of the fight.

He muscled him to the ground and Pete continued to pound his fists into his Jacob's face as he tried to cover his face from the blows. Sirens broke through his furious punches and he felt someone rip him off Jacob, swinging wildly he punched whoever it was that'd touched him.

"Shit, thas the hardest I've been hit all night." Pete tried to focus his eyes through the blood streaming into them only to see Swill gripping his eye in pain.

"Sorry mate, got a bit carried away." Pete gave a smirk and looked down at Jacob who was still curled up on the ground just as flashing lights started to appear.

"Oi, yous all wanna get pinched? Let's get outta here." Bovver's voice broke through the sirens and Pete and Swill immediately took off, sprinting into the underground – and with luck – onto the train that'd just pulled in.

As the doors shut tight Pete noticed with a laugh half the Yids stranded on the other side of the tracks and watched as two coppers came thundering down the stairs causing the rest of the GSE to break out into gleeful cheers. He surveyed the damage and noticed most of the boys were bleeding to some degree but were definitely better off than the Yids had fared as they wouldn't be dealin' with any copper's questions.

_A successful match indeed_, he thought.

* * *

Josie sat strumming her fingers on the bar, still seething slightly with anger while the rest of her was numb from the pints she'd been drinking since her shift had ended. She gritted her teeth, wondering if Pete would even show back up at the Abbey tonight or if he'd bother to call his "girlfriend." In her mind she cringed at the word, questioning everything he'd ever said to her.

"Terry! Pint me, now Yoda." Josie slammed her fist down on the bar and Terry looked at her with amusement in his eyes.

"Joze, relax. This is your fifth in about an hour. What are ya gonna do when he gets 'ere? Yell for a second then puke on 'im?" Josie tried to glare through slightly glassy eyes but failed miserably when she saw the smirk on Terry's face.

She heaved a huge sigh before waving him away, "Eh piss off, yer a horrible bartender, less chatty, more drinky – gimme a pint." Terry finally turned to grab it for her and she fell back into her thoughts. _How could he do this?_, was the only thing that kept running through her mind. He apparently hadn't trusted her with a huge part of his life and she felt like a fool for being the only one not in on the secret.

She now recognized the signs she'd missed before – how all the boys looked up to him, how all the girls wanted to fuck him (albeit he was a good lookin' bloke), how the younger patrons of the bar seemed to show a large degree of respect for him, even going so far as to stare at him in awestruck amazement. She'd always figured it was just the way he was, Pete seemed to be wrapped in a certain aura that caused everyone to gravitate towards him. Josie dropped her head to the bar realizing she'd just been some idiot in a long line of Pete-worshippers.

In short, she felt like a fool.

She lifted her head quickly when she heard Terry set her pint down in front of her. Too quickly, a slight hiccup escaped her lips and she groaned slightly to herself , "Be right back, don't drink that." She mumbled softly to no one in particular as she slipped off the barstool, nearly losing her footing. Josie took a moment to steady herself before taking off to the bathroom.

After finishing her business she moved to wash her hands, glancing up at her reflection in the mirror, "Oye, I look terrible." She was still dressed in her Patriots jersey and her bare legs felt slightly chilled in the cool air of the Ladies room. She glared back at her own face noticing just how pale she looked in the florescent lights and the slight bags under her eyes. Josie cringed realizing she was so sleepy because she'd spent the night with Pete which caused her heart to twist painfully. _Idiot, that's what you are._

Heaving a huge sigh she gave one last glance in the mirror, her brown eyes dull and sad before she turned to leave, making the decision to finish her drink and head home.

Josie walked swiftly back to her barstool, ignoring her surroundings completely – her eye on the pint prize on the counter. Just as she reached the counter she felt muscular arms wrap around her waist and a familiar scent wafted into her nose. She smiled softly, momentarily forgetting her anger of the past few hours until it all came flooding back to her. She wrenched herself free from Pete's grasp and sat down on her seat before taking a large gulp of her drink.

She could almost feel Pete's confusion lurking in the air when she heard his voice, "Joze, love? I missed ya." Josie simply rolled her eyes, finished her beer in two gulps before grabbing her bag to leave. She whipped around to face him and her eyes widened in horror.

"Geez Pete, you look terrible – you and the GSE not make out too well?" The words came tumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them and she stared in amazement as he seemed to not notice her sarcasm.

"Nah love, my boys are tiptop, we beat them Yi – wait, _what_?" Pete's eyes widened in horror and Josie fought against the urge to check the cuts and bruises on his face. Instead, she tried to focus on the anger and hurt she'd been feeling for the past few hours.

"Oh yeah, Terry let something slip about you at the Green Street Fleet and how you're the head of it and how you enjoy beating the shit out of people. All very interesting facts that you probably should have shared with me over the course of the past four months instead of me finding out because Terry thought I already knew." Josie watched as Pete fought a smirk and her heart pounded in anger.

"It's _Elite_, not Fleet Joze." He grinned down at her as though everything was a-o-kay and she shoved him away from her just as he moved closer.

"Gah, fuck off Dunham that's not the point." She jabbed his chest with her index finger, "The point it I've clearly meant shit to you so just, Leave. Me. Alone." She threw her hair over her shoulder before shoving past his bewildered frame and storming out of the Abbey.

* * *

Pete stared in horror at Josie's back as she stormed away from him, the pain of the cuts and bruises on his face had nothing on the way his heart was currently twisting in his chest. His mouth had dropped open in the midst of her yelling and he noticed the bar was currently completely silent and all eyes were on him.

"Oi, fuck off! Nothin' to see 'ere." He shouted to the room at large and immediately everyone clattered to life, trying to avert their eyes from Pete's glare. He whipped around towards the bar, searching frantically for Terry – he _had_ to find out what happened before he went after her.

"You're certainly dumber than you look Dunham – and that's sayin' somethin'." Pete locked eyes with the very man he'd been looking for, trying to look angry but failing miserably as his face twisted in despair.

"So how bad she'd take it?"

Terry grimaced and leaned over the bar towards him, "Before that, lemme say just one thing: you're a stupid twat. You fucked up the best thing a Dunhams' ever had. In my opinion, she'd 'ave understood and accepted it."

Pete dropped his head in shame, knowing full well Terry was right, "This is about the only time in my life I wish I'd listened to Swill of all people when he said I should tell her."

"Yea well, lesson learned – Swill knows more about women than you do. And she took it quietly and with lots of drink." Terry pulled a face before continuing, "And sorry mate – bout tellin' Joze…I really thought you'd told her."

"Thanks bruv, not yer fault. I shoulda told her in the beginning before it got to this point." Pete turned to leave and as he walked by the boys he hung his head sadly, "Welp, I'm off to beg forgiveness and in all likelihood be dumped by Josie."

Most of the boys shouted words of encouragement at him; however Pete noticed Bovver sat with a self-satisfied smirk on his face which only served to turn Pete's stomach even more. He could only hope that the next time he saw him he'd have Josie in tow to wipe the shit eating grin off his face.

Pete trudged out of the bar and began the short walk towards Josie's flat. The closer he got the more butterflies erupted in his stomach. Not for the first time, he wondered what had happened to his bollocks only to remind himself that he'd lost them along with his heart.

_Aw for fucksake, I would figure out I love her just as I'm about to lose her_. Pete shook his head in chagrin and stared straight ahead. He'd just reached her door and for a few long minutes he simply stared at it, trying to get the nerve to knock.

"Dunham – you're breathing wicked heavily, just knock on the door so we can get this argument over with." Pete jumped back in shock and he grimaced as Josie flung the door open. He gazed at her, awestruck for a minute, while she stood there in the same outfit from earlier today. Her brown hair was cascading down her back and she had her hands on her hips and a glare on her face as she looked him up and down.

She tapped her foot impatiently, "Stop starin' at me – what do you want? Something you'd like to tell me?" She practically spit the words at him and he unconsciously recoiled at the venom lacing her voice.

"I just…I really – I just have to…" Pete stuttered stupidly at her and dropped his eyes to the floor. _Fuck, this was hard_.

"Spit it out Pete, I haven't got all day." Josie snorted softly, "Actually, I do but that's besides the point. You have five minutes – go."

Pete crossed the threshold of the door and moved close to her, cringing when she stepped back using the couch as a divider between them, "Joze, I'm sorry – I kept meanin' to tell you about it all…I just didn't want to fuck this up."

"Oh that's just fuckin' rich, Dunham. Because lying to me the past four months made this any better? Because finding out that strangers know more about your interests than your own girlfriend made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside? Do have any idea how stupid I felt, standing there with Terry as he joked about your involvement in the GSE and I had this gobsmacked look on my face because I had no goddamn clue what he was goin' on about? I feel like this was all one big joke."

"Lies? …joke?" Pete's mind had gone blank and that was all he seemed able to choke out.

Josie heaved an exasperated sigh, "Yes Pete, this. Us." She gestured between the two of them as though he was stupid, "A lie…and apparently a joke on your part."

Silence filled the air as Josie stared at Pete blankly. His mind was reeling and it seemed all he could do was stare at her. He watched in horror as her eyes began to fill with tears and she dropped her head, "Just go Pete, seems like you've got nothin' to say."

"No." He spoke the word softly and Josie looked up at him, "I'm sorry – I just, I couldn't - …I didn't want to lose you."

"Well you coulda fooled me. What'd you think? You'd say that you and the boys got mugged after every match? Or that I'd turn a blind eyes to the cuts and bruises and the blood? Jesus, Pete – did you think I'd just leave you? Do you really think that low of me?" She practically whispered the last sentence and Pete stared at her heartbroken face.

In a quick movement, so that she had no time to move, he leapt over the couch and latched onto her, "Josie, look at me." He softly reached for her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "I think everything about you – fuck, I can't get you outta my head. I didn't want you to find out about this side of me. I just wanted to be what you wanted."

Josie looked up at him, her watery brown eyes meeting his blue ones, "You already were you dumb twat." He chuckled slightly as she stared back at him, "I grew up with boys, I'm used to stupid pissing contests between them. I don't care about your obsession over football. I don't care that you and the boys like to fight. Will I be beside myself with worry? Obviously…I just wish you'd have trusted me."

Her voice trailed off pathetically and all he could do was stare, "Fuck Joze, I'm a bloody fool. I should be tellin' you I love you rather than apologizing for being a twat." Pete bit down hard on the inside of his cheek; this was not the way he wanted to be saying this for the first time.

Josie's mouth dropped open in shock and Pete smiled feebly at her, "Guess the cats outta the bag…didn't mean to tell you like that. Seems to be my M.O. with you, huh?"

She gave a watery smile up at him and his heart did cartwheels waiting for her to answer, "I may be dumber than you are cause I guess I sorta, maybe, kinda, love you too."

Pete pulled her into a bone crushing hug, lifting her off her feet and into his arms where she belonged. His lips met hers in a searing kiss and she moaned softly into him.

This had ended up being one helluva Match Day and the only thing that was going to make it sweeter would be the look on Bovver's face when he saw Josie still wrapped in his arms and hopefully a now permanent part of his life.

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**To be honest, not my best (in my opinion at least) The fight scene was what killed my motivation because I just couldn't perfect it. Anywho, reviews wouldn't be appreciated :)**


	11. Revelry

**Another sort of rushed chapter that I'm still not sure about...but I'm goin on vacation for the week and reeeally wanted to get this out. **

**Fair warning that this chapter is where the 'M' rating comes into play if it hasn't already. Let me know if it's too much, too little or you just plain hate it.**

**As always thanks for the reviews/alerts...they always make my day! Enjoy :)**

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The clock next to Josie's bedside showed just past six as Pete lay wide awake gazing in wonder at the sleeping form next him. He smiled slightly as she sighed softly in her sleep, snuggled closer into his side and seemed to return his smile with a small one of her own. Pete could have spent hours watching her sleep like this and he was amazed that over the course of 24 hours he had the privilege to still be speaking to her let alone be in the same bed with her.

_If only I'd told her earlier,_ a part of his mind grumbled, _she'd have known all along about the GSE and I never would've almost lost her._

_But then we wouldn't have had that first fight that led to her saying she loved me too. And fuck she'd looked hot while she yelled, _the other half of his mind argued petulantly.

Pete continued to have an inner dialogue with himself while still staring down at Josie. He picked up a stray curl, twirling the soft hair around his finger, marveling at the brown and gold hues that glinted in the early morning sunlight. Her plump, pink lips parted open in a smile and her eyelids fluttered open.

"Stop playin' with my hair, you tart." She mumbled into his side before grinning up at him, brown eyes sparkling.

"Oi, don't be a grump." He smirked back at her then breathed in sharply as she swung her body quickly onto his, straddling his waist and playfully trapping his wrists above his head. She leaned in close, giving a soft kiss to the West Ham crest on his chest before moving slowly up to his face, leaving a soft trail of kisses along the way.

"Mmm, I could get used to this, maybeee I'll just tie you up and leave you here while I go to work for the day. Then I could have my way with you when I get back…"

Pete tried to bite back a moan at that thought and failed miserably which caused Josie to grin devilishly down at him. His heart pounded in his chest and he felt himself immediately grow hard as Josie reached his face and leaned closer to him, "Hmm, seems like you like that idea, huh Dunham?"

Pete simply nodded before managing to strangle out a few words, "Yesss…I'd, uh – really like that." Josie nuzzled her nose softly against his before capturing his lips with hers. He ran his tongue along the seam of her lips, moaning when she eagerly opened her mouth her tongue meeting his with electricity.

The sound of Josie's phone trilling loudly caused Pete to groan in frustration, "Ignore it."  
He growled to her but was cut short by a rough kiss before she leaned over him to reach her phone anyway.

"Ello?" Fighting a loud yawn, Josie leaned away from Pete, "Em? Emma – _calm_ down." Pete stared up at her as she remained seated on him, taking in the way her soft brown curls cascaded down her back and the way her eyes stayed on his even as she listened to whoever was on the line. She reached her free hand down to slowly run her fingertips along the edge of his waist where his bare skin met the fabric of his boxers. He rested his hands on her hips and began to trace small circles on the bare skin between her small white tank top and the pair of shorts she'd slept in. Initially he tried to follow the conversation but became increasingly distracted by the way Josie's fingers were softly stroking him and how her chest seemed to be hypnotizing him as it heaved up and down, her nipples hard through the thin fabric.

Josie snapped her fingers as she caught him staring and he replied with a cheeky grin and continued to stare unabashedly and continued to draw circles on her warm, bare skin, "Relax Em, I'll be there in 45 minutes, an hour at most. Stay calm till I get there – we'll handle it." At her final words, Pete stuck his lower lip out in an exaggerated pout and was met by Josie's tinkling laugh.

"Work beckons bruv." Josie moved to climb off of him and out of bed but Pete quickly pulled her to him in a bone crushing hug, relishing in the feel of her small body flush against his.

"Do you have to love?" Pete whispered into her ear, nibbling softly on the lobe as he tried to plead with her slightly, knowing it'd never work. He also knew he should probably spend the day getting his classroom ready but between the choice of time with Josie versus…well pretty much everything, he'd take her any day of the week and twice on Sunday.

"Ugh, un_fortunately_. 'Member that fundraiser thing I told you we've been planning all summer set for this Friday night?"

Pete nodded his head, vaguely recalling some minor freak-outs she'd had over the summer about planning said fundraiser, "Well apparently it's all falling to hell at the most inopportune time. I've no idea why in all that's holy Emma is at the museum at 6:30 in the mornin' but either way – I've gotta go."

She pressed a final kiss to his chest and wiggled out of his grip before climbing out of bed. Pete rolled onto his side watching her as she chose an outfit from the closet and smirked as she bent over to grab a stray earring that had been knocked off the bureau in their haste to land in the bed last night. They'd been on their way to physically proving their love when Dave and Swill had interrupted by pounding loudly on the door to either comfort Josie or tell Pete 'I told you so.' He had momentarily contemplated slamming the door in their faces but Josie had welcomed them in, as she was never one to turn the boys away – especially not those particular two. They'd stayed for a couple hours until she'd fallen asleep on his shoulder and he'd booted them out before carrying her to bed.

"Joze?" Pete stared back into her beautiful brown eyes as she held his gaze without hesitation.

"Yea Pete?"

"Do you want to meet my family?" Josie's face broke into a wide smile and she walked slowly back towards the bed, staring at him thoughtfully and biting down softly on her lower lip.

Reaching him she leaned over his large frame and planted a soft kiss on his lips and he buried his hands in her hair, gripping the curls softly in order to deepen the kiss. She pulled away reluctantly before whispering a soft yes.

"Good…because Monday's are family dinners," Her eyes widened slightly when she realized he meant tonight but nodded her head in agreement nonetheless, "and my mum has been beggin' to meet you but I selfishly wanted to keep you to myself. Couldn't last forever though. Now, if only I could find a way to get rid of the boys." He tapped his chin thoughtfully as she gave a loud laugh, a final kiss and danced off into the shower.

* * *

Josie sprinted up the spiral stairs to the offices as fast as her four inch heels would allow her to. When she reached the top, the first thing she saw was Emma surrounded by a pile of paperwork stacked between their adjacent desks, a frantic glint in her eyes and her blonde hair thrown atop her head in a messy bun.

"Shit Ems, what in God's name happened to you? I left Friday night and everything was set a week in advance but Monday rolls around and I'm getting frantic calls at 6:30 in the mornin'. And fuck if you only knew what you'd interrupted." Josie tapped her foot half impatiently, half angrily at the fact that she'd _thought_ the whole thing'd been settled.

At that Emma held up her hand, "Stop! Just stop right there, I do _not_ want to hear another too sweet tale of your perfect relationship with Dunham. Concentrate love, we are _seriously_ fucked."

Josie rolled her eyes, "What's with this 'we' Kemosabe?" and tilted her head to the side quizzically. Emma responded with a glare, "Alright, alright…we're in it together, my English rose – now start from the beginning."

Emma began to rattle off all the issues that had begun to arise throughout Saturday and Sunday unbeknownst to Josie as she'd worked at the pub and spent her time with Pete and the boys. It seemed that all of their carefully laid plans over the past three months had begun unraveling at an impossible rate. As she wrapped up the story of how there'd been a slight fire at the bakery that was set to do the desserts and they therefore weren't able to bake the thousand odd pastries the 1500 quid deposit assured them and were now refusing to give the funds back, Josie felt an overwhelming sense of panic settle around the two of them.

"Soo…we are _seriously_ fucked." Josie echoed Emma's earlier sentiment and dropped her head with a loud thud to onto her desk.

"Now she gets it." Emma grumbled angrily, "What in the hell are we going do?"

Josie lifted her head to stare into Emma's frantic and half mad face seeming to calm at the sight of it, "Well Murphy's Law I guess…anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. So as it's my shit luck that's led to this we are going to drink gallons of coffee and work like mad to fix every part of this that's fallen apart. I rather like my job and I take it you like yours so if we want to keep them let's get to it."

"What's first?" Josie glanced down at the laundry list of problems to see where they should begin.

"You my friend, are going to start work on the supposed biblical flood at the main hall to see if something can be done about still using it. While I'll go browbeat those hacks at the bakery to get our deposit back and/or force them to make treats for us. Aaaaaand break!" Clapping her hands as though breaking out of a huddle, Emma rolled her eyes before leaping out of her chair to follow Josie out the door and into the dawning London day.

**ELEVEN HOURS LATER**

"So I may or may not have called him a smelly ape and made up some legal jargon sounding law about how I could have him deported if he didn't give us our money back or make good on the contract and surprise! He just so happened to have a cousin that owned a bakery they could borrow in order to still cater our little event this weekend."

"Joze, you are a star – that plus the hall was by far our biggest hurdle and we nailed both of 'em today...now we just have the minor issues to resolve and after this day they should be a piece of cake. Cheers to us."

Emma leaned across their desks to clink drinks with Josie and gave a bark of laughter at the noodle of Lo Mein that was currently falling out of Josie's mouth as she grinned back at her.

"You Americans are so brash and uncouth and thank God for that or you'd be the most boring of co-workers. Only you would think it was ok to shamelessly browbeat an 80 year old baker into making good on our deposit."

Josie arched an eyebrow in Emma's direction, "Co-workers? What happened to friends? Mates? Buds? Pals? Idk…BFFs?"

Emma stared in shock for a moment, as usual caught off guard by Josie's wackiness before bursting out in laughter and throwing a fortune cookie at her head, "Oi you twat, there's no one like you. Believe me, you're by far the best friend a gal could have. Now, tell me love, how're things with your boy."

"Pete? Things are fantastic." Cringing slightly at the memories of this weekend, "Welllll, there were some minor bumps this weekend but all's well that ends well – I'm going to dinner with his…oh _fuck_." Josie leapt out of her office chair, throwing the box of noodles onto the desk before shoving her feet into her heels and glaring at her watch to see it was half past seven, "Fuck shit _fuck!_ I was supposed to go to dinner at his mum's tonight…oh my God, why didn't he call?!?"

Emma simply sat frozen in her chair as she stared as she began freaking out. She dug into her large bag frantically searching for her mobile. Grabbing it she stared stupidly at the three missed calls and six texts from Pete, "Joze, you ok?"

"No no no," Shaking her head in horror, "my phone's been on silent all day. I am _such_ an idiot. I gotta go love…Oh Jesus he probably thinks I stood him up."

Mumbling more to herself than to Emma, she glanced at his final text, _"you missed dinner, I'll be at the Abbey. You coulda just said no…" _Her heart thudded in her chest as she continued to panic while throwing her bag over her shoulder. _Dammit, we just got over one fight, now stupid me goes and ruins it_.

_Stay there, I'll be there in 20, xx, _she quickly typed out to him.

Praying like hell that would keep him there she sprinted down the spiral stairs of the office moving as quickly as her heels would allow her to, trying to form coherent enough excuses to give to Pete that didn't involve being spacey, drinking celebratory beers and pigging out on Chinese food.

* * *

_Beep beep beep_, the sound of Pete's phone receiving a text sounded next to him. Trying not to get his hopes up that it was Josie he chose to ignore it, instead glancing down the bar in search of Terry.

"Aye, aye bruv…drinkin' alones the first sign of a problem. Where's Miss Josie? You two come 'ere after dinner, shit dat was quick." Pete heard Swill's cheery voice and stiffened when he threw an arm around his shoulder.

Shrugging it off in frustration, "She didn't show." He grumbled angrily.

"Huh?" Pete glanced up to see Swill staring at him stupidly, confusion clear in his eyes.

"I _said:_ She. Didn't. Show. Stood me up in fact." Pete clenched his jaw and ground his teeth at the thought.

Swill grinned at him cheerfully which only served to frustrate Pete even more until he saw Swill was pointing towards the front of the bar and he followed his gaze to the door.

There stood Josie.

Pete started at her feet, taking in her black Mary Jane heels, the tight pencil skirt and green silk blouse he'd watched her put on this morning.

Unlike this morning she was wearing a slight frown as she frantically looked around the bar for him, he grabbed his phone to see the text she'd sent him and felt a slight wave of relief wash over him. Josie finally spotted him and quickly ran over to his seat at the bar.

Pete turned away from her, taking a large gulp of his pint and stared unseeingly at the football game on the bar's TV. He felt, more than heard Josie heave herself on to the stool next to her.

"Alright Joze, pint?" Pete internally rolled his eyes, of course Terry had immediately came over to see her. She'd never just be his and based off tonight - clearly she didn't want to be.

"Nah, I'm fine – and sorry Terr, I honestly just need to talk to Pete alone for sec. Swill – you bugger off too." Pete hadn't even noticed Swill was still standing close by next to him until Josie's words caused him to scurry off leaving him to try desperately to ignore her.

Anger and embarrassment burned within him – anger for deluding himself into believing a girl like her would ever want to be with him and embarrassment at tricked into believing she could ever love him. Deep down he knew he was being irrational but to be honest, he didn't give a shit right now.

"Pete. _Please_ look at me. At least let me explain." Pete fought against every fiber of his being to reach out and touch her. He could smell the sweet scent of apples wafting towards him but resisted, instead, he drained his beer, slammed it to the counter and leapt up to leave. Not even looking at her he moved quickly towards the door, his only thought was getting out of the dingy smoky bar and away from Josie.

Josie scurried after him and he tried to squash down the hope it caused to well up in him. When she didn't show up to dinner he'd been heartbroken, the only possible scenario being that she didn't really want to meet his family and the only reason she'd agreed was out of pity for him.

"Pete will you wait for me? _Stop_, my midget legs can't keep up with you." He tried to fight a smile from his face as he felt her small hand on his arm, "Quit fucking around and just let me explain."

He turned to face her for the first time and his breath unwillingly caught in his throat. Her brown, curly hair was messily thrown up in a ponytail and was listing way over to the right side. There was the slight shadow of bags under her brown eyes that stared dully up at him. If she wasn't the most beautiful thing in the world to him, he'd say she looked like shit.

"What's to explain Josephine? You should've just said no. I wouldn'ta cared. Woulda been a helluva lot better than lyin' and standin' me up." He shrugged her hand off of him and tried to continue forward when he was knocked ever so slightly off balance as she rammed her small body into his large frame, effectively nudging him into the brick wall they'd been walking next to.

"Stop being a stubborn ass and listen to me, _Peter_. And don't full name **me** you bastard, you know I hate that. And I did _**not**_ lie to you, Dunham." Jabbing him with her finger accusingly he cringed as fire filled her eyes.

"There's nothin' to listen to, I don't want to hear your excuses."

"Fuck Pete, you're being a right prick." She stamped her foot in frustration and with such force her heel snapped off and she tumbled towards the pavement. Josie cringed waiting to hit the hard ground, instead she felt the warmth of Pete's arms encircling her body and pulling her up towards him.

"Do you 'ave to be so dramatic, love?" He smirked down at her, keeping her locked in his arms. Just the feel of her seemed to melt any anger he'd felt before. He reluctantly released her as she started to struggle, hitting his chest with her small fists.

"_Dramatic_? Ugh, you are im_possible_. I came here preparing to beg and plead and commit to lifetime servitude if only you'd forgive your space cadet girlfriend but now, I'd rather tell you to fuck off and come find me once you remove the stick from up your arse. So when you're ready to have an adult conversation – come find me."

Pete watched as her face turned bright red with anger causing her freckles to stand out and her brown eyes to glow with fire, _fuck she's hot when she's mad_.

"Oi, I'm not the one whose done somethin' wrong 'ere missy."

"Well apparently I'm the only one who wants to fix it." By this point Josie was breathing heavily with anger and tears were glistening in her eyes – Pete vaguely recalled her saying how when she was livid with anger she usually ended up in tears.

Josie whipped around, trying to storm off in anger but failed miserably as her walk came out lopsided and she tripped slightly on the curb. Pete tried not to laugh at the sight and moved to follow her…the least he could do was hear her out.

"Joze, wait!" She continued to stomp along towards her flat, ignoring his presence completely, "Oh come on Joze, now who's bein' a pain in the arse?"

At that she twirled around, once again jabbing her finger into his chest, "Oh that's rich, Dunham. Piss off…I'm in no mood to grovel at this point and any apology is going to come out insincerely and bitchy."

"Aw, come on love, I took the stick out of my bum and I'm ready for you to beg."

"Ugh, you are just ridiculous. All I wanted was us to be fine after that stupid fight yesterday but now I've gone and fucked it up and you won't even let me apology properly. And if you won't even let me apology properly, how on earth am I supposed to make up for my uh-oh?" She stared up at him through thick lashes, her brown eyes melting into his blue ones as she licked her lips appetizingly.

Pete's eyebrows shot up into his hairline and his next words came out strangled at what she seemed to be implying, "Make up?"

"If I'd known the way to gain forgiveness was by doing this, I'd 'ave attacked you in the Abbey." The 'this' was her wrapping her body tightly around his and pulling his lips down to hers in a blazing kiss. She ran her hands through short, blonde hair softly rubbing the nape of his neck when she reached it. He held her closer, forcing her off her feet as he deepened the kiss, forcefully opening her mouth with his tongue and biting down on her lip, sucking on it lightly.

Heat spread throughout his whole frame as he felt her chest pressed into his, "Upstairs. Now." He managed to get out, noticing they were just five meters away from her flat.

"Fuck Pete, I need you." Gripping her hand tightly in his he dragged her up the stairs, practically kicking open the door to her flat once they reached it. As the door slammed behind them he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, her skirt riding up to her upper thighs. Slamming her into wall he wrenched his lips from hers, kissing down her neck and nibbling her soft skin as he went and he ran his hands up the newly revealed bare skin of her legs garnering a whimper from Josie.

"Bed. Now." Apparently neither of them could form coherent sentences and Pete was more than obliged to fulfill her request. Gripping her ass tightly he carried her into her bedroom practically throwing her onto the bed before leaning over her, covering her body with his. She leaned up, kissing him passionately as she ran her hands down his body and began unbuckling his pants. He could feel her heart pounding in her chest as he moved down her neck, unbuttoning her shirt with his teeth as he went.

At the same time, she was forcefully ripping his shirt off over his head and she ran her hands down his bare chest, lightly scratching her nails as she went. Succeeding in removing her shirt he stared at her lacy, bra-clad chest before turning his attention to her bottom half, slowly kissing his way down her body and once he reached her waist he slowly began to un-zipper her skirt before pulling it off her body.

"Too slow babe." He chuckled softly into inner thigh and he ever so slowly removed her panties giving the lightest of kisses to her core. He stared up at her through smoldering eyes as she shuddered at the slightest of his touches, "_Pleaseee._" Was all she seemed to be able to articulate and he quickly shed his pants along with his boxers.

He positioned himself at her entrance, staring down at her eyes and kissing her softly, "I love you Joze."

"I love you too…" she managed to moan out, "now please stop teasing me." He grinned down at her before finally entering her. His body filled with intense pleasure and he stopped to relish the feeling smirking as she raised her hips to force movement. He moved slowly at first but it didn't last long and within minutes they were moving at a frantic pace.

They finished simultaneously and collapsed in a tangled heap of naked limbs, both breathing heavy and utterly satisfied. Pete stared at her naked frame in all its glory as she rolled over onto her stomach, throwing her leg and arm over his body.

"Why on earth did we ever wait so long to do that?" Her words came out breathless and he smirked down at her, planting a kiss on her shoulder.

"No idea love, but we're certainly not waiting that long again."

"So, I'm forgiven?" Josie grinned up at Pete's darkened blue eyes and he smiled back.

"Love, I don't even remember what we were fighting about."

Josie smiled softly back at him and snuggled into his side while planting a soft kiss onto his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight while kissing her head softly and breathing in her scent he watched her eyes flutter shut. _Fuck, I could get used to this_.

* * *

**Soo, reviews? They'd be much appreciated because I have noo idea if this is absolute shit or if you enjoyed it. **


	12. Out of the Blue

**So, little rushed but I really wanted to get this out. Thank you so so much for the reviews, they always make my day.**

**A special thank you to Little Miss Bovver for the reviews/positive feedback, you're a star.**

**Enjoy all :)**

**November**

"Josie! Hey, wait up!" Josie paused from walking out of the lecture hall to see Thomas shoving through the crowd of students and waving frantically in her direction. She paused and smiled warmly in his direction.

"Hey Tommy, how'd you do?" He rolled his pale gray eyes at her before forcing a smile, all the while clutching the paper they'd just received back.

"_Josephine_," He drawled in a proper accent, "it is Thomas. And full marks, of course." Josie tried to bite back a smirk as she enjoyed shortening his name, knowing full well how aggravated and uppity he got when she did. Thomas of Something-or-Other liked everyone to address him by his full and proper aristocratic name. She decided those rules didn't apply to her since she was a Yank.

"Myself as well received full marks." She stuck her nose up in the air haughtily and gave a sly smile in Thomas' direction, finally earning a smile out of him, "You need to learn to relax. Your time in those fancy British boarding schools has a stick wedged so far up your bum it's a shock you managed to lower yourself to speak to me."

Thomas pulled a shocked face before sputtering, "Aw, Joze that's not fair…I just, I'm just - …"

"Oh relax, I was just jokin'. Friends do that, ya know?" A huge grin broke out on Thomas' face and Josie smiled back slightly. He was a tad bit stiff but nonetheless handsome in a pretty boy type way that held no interest for Josie. She studied his face blankly, mentally comparing him to Pete. Feeling nothing at all but friendship she turned away and began to walk outside.

"So what are you doing for the rest of the day?" he questioned.

"My plan was lunch now then library for ohhh," she glance down at her watch theatrically, "about a week until I finish up this paper for Conflict Studies."

"Want some company?"

Josie hesitated ever so slightly, "Sure, why not? Come on then, I'll treat ya to some chips."

The pair walked quickly out of the large Kings College hall into the blustery London day, cutting through the courtyard to reach the street. Josie's boots clicked loudly on the cobbled path around the fountain and she wrapped her wool coat around her tightly, _fuck its cold today_. Just as they neared the gate her face broke into a large grin at the sight of the tall blonde man striding towards her.

"Pete." She breathed out softly.

"Erm, my name is Thomas, remember we just went over this." He looked down at her in confusion causing Josie to smack his arm lightly before running towards the figure in the long trench. She wrapped her arms around him as she threw herself into his warm embrace and planted a kiss on his lips, lingering for a few moments.

"Hi you, what're you doin' here?? Thought you had classes all day?" Pete set her down on the ground, his blue eyes carefully taking in the tall, willowy guy that Josie had been walking with. His eyes narrowed slightly at him before he gave a casual shrug as he turned his attention back to her.

"I do, but I convinced Paddy to take my afternoon PE class so I could sneak out and take my best girl to lunch."

Josie pulled a face, "I better be your _only_ girl, Dunham." she said as she poked his chest sharply.

Pete gave a short laugh before leaning down and pecking her on the cheek while wrapping his arm possessively around her waist and whispering in her ear, "There'll never be another."

Josie felt her heart flutter as she smiled up at him and nearly turned to lead him away until she remembered her prior plans, "Shit Tommy, I mean Thomas, I'm sorry…do you mind? He did come quite a ways and changed teachers and such." She rattled off quickly and her face burned slightly.

Thomas and Pete simply stared each other down as she continued "And by the way, this is my boyfriend, Pete. Pete, this is my friend Thomas." She gestured between the two with one hand, the other clasped firmly in Pete's hand.

Thomas looked Pete up and down, "Pleasure." His tone clearly indicating otherwise but nonetheless he managed to turn to Josie with a smile, "It's no problem love, rain check it is." Pete glared over Josie's head at the pet name, a look that Thomas pointedly ignored.

Josie sighed in relief, completely unaware of the tension between the two men, "Thanks, save me a seat in the library? I promise I'll bring you a cookie if you do," she said smiling up at him.

Thomas smiled back at her, "Sure, I'll grab your books too. Are they in the same place?"

"Yup. And thanks, I'll see you in a bit." Josie turned on her heel quickly and began dragging Pete out into the street before the two could exchange any more words.

"Whose that poncey bloke?" Josie rolled her eyes at Pete's gruff tone and pulled him to a stop.

"Aw, big bad boyfriend isn't jealous, is he?" She stood on tiptoes to pull him into a kiss and he pulled away grumpily.

"You've no idea how men eye you up and down."

"Hmph, kinda like you do?" She arched an eyebrow questioningly at him and he groaned in frustration.

"But I'm allowed to," he whined, "boyfriend law. Other blokes should just bloody well keep their eyes to themselves."

"Babe, Thomas isn't the least bit appealing to me. You're the only one I see, ya big idiot." She planted a soft kiss on his lips and Pete felt any tension from the prior meeting fall to the wayside, "Now feed me, I'm stah-vin'."

"Your wish is my command." Pete pulled her into side, kissed the top of her head softly and began to lead her down the street.

* * *

"I mean, you shoulda seen the way this bloke was eyeing her up and down, like she was a piece of meat." Dave and Swill simply rolled their eyes and ignored Pete's comment – they'd feigned interest the first day but after three days of non-stop worrying they were at their wits end.

"Mate, do us all a favor?" Ike said then waited for Pete to respond to make sure he had his full attention.

He tipped back on two legs of his chair before replying "Yeah and what's that bruv?"

Ike leaned over the table before loudly saying, "Shut. The. Fuck. Up." He counted the words off on one hand, continuing "We've listened to you bitch for the past three days about some fool Joze is friends with from school. Josie is fuckin' head over heels for you, a blind man could see that and she isn't bout to leave you for some poncey fella. So shut it and grab us some more pints." Pete's eyes momentarily flashed with fury preparing to hit Ike but stopped at the sound of the familiar voice from behind him.

"Jesus Pete, you're still on about Thomas? Therapy babe, try it. And quit actin' like I'm some hussy who's goin' round behind her boyfriends back." Pete cringed and returned his chair to the ground before turning around slowly.

There he was met with the sight of Josie, wearing a pair of black yoga pants and one of his huge West Ham sweatshirts, her face bright red from the cold November night. She had her hands on her hips and was glaring slightly at him.

"Oops." He breathed sheepishly, hanging his head in shame.

Josie stared down at him and her brown eyes softened at the sight of him with his head in his hands, "You're an idiot. Now, do as Ike says and grab us some pints." Pete stood up and swept her into his arms, kissing her deeply which earned disgusted groans from the boys gathered around the table. He inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo as he hugged her close to his body, pressing her against him.

"Fuck, I love you – know that?" He whispered into her ear and she blushed lightly before kissing him on the nose.

"Love you too," she whispered back, "Now stop tryin' to weasel outta buyin' me a drink. Go on, shoo, I'll keep your seat warm." She waved him away from her and he gave one final kiss to her cheek before heading towards the bar.

**Two Hours Later**

Josie was perched on Pete's lap, giggling helplessly as Swill finished telling the story of their first GSE fight, "So's the copper starts pissin' right next to the trash can I'm hidin' behind; pissed all over my shoes, the twat. I had to sprint back to the Abbey in soggy pee sneakers."

Josie doubled over in laughter and Pete held onto her waist tightly as he cracked up too – he'd somehow forgotten about Swill's first fight and subsequent encounter with the law. He felt the buzz of Josie's phone in the bag next to him for what felt like the tenth time that night. He nuzzled his face into her neck, "Joze, your phone again."

"Argh, gimme it. Whoever it is seems hell bent on chattin' with me." She murmured to him and he reached into her open bag to grab it, placing it in her waiting hand, "Ere love."

"Thanks baby," she kissed his cheek softly, "Hm, weird…my brothers have been calling. Ten missed calls in the past two hours." She furrowed her brow in confusion, hit the send button and walked away from the table to hear her brother better.

The rest of the boys continued to laugh and yell but Pete simply stared after her, his eyes filled with concern. She seemed to have gotten hold of one of her brothers and he watched in horror as her face turned deadly pale and her brown eyes began to fill with tears. He was at her side in an instant, "But – but, I don't understand. How could this happen?" Pete listened as her words became more and more frantic; her voice getting higher and higher as she started to argue with whichever sibling was on the line.

"I don't care, Eams, I'm on my way. I'll meet you there." Her voice had become determined the longer she'd argued with her brother but as she hung up the phone, she looked up at Pete and the pain in her eyes nearly broke him.

The tears she'd been fighting began to roll down her face and her voice cracked slightly, "My dad had a heart attack; he's in the hospital. They…the doctors aren't sure – he's critical." She threw herself into his arms and he held her tight, stroking her soft hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. He didn't know what else to do, her frantic sobs were breaking his heart and he had no idea how to fix it.

"You're ok love," he said, knowing damn well she wasn't, "come on I'll get you home." The boys were all staring at the two of them, concern filling their eyes at Josie's tear stained face and the way Pete was helping her stand, his arm wrapped around her waist protectively. He leaned down to grab her bag, never loosening his grip on her.

Josie sobbed the entire walk back to her flat and Pete tried desperately to offer words of comfort. When that failed he simply held onto her tight, stroking her hair and kissing the tears away as best he could. He opened the door to her place with his key and led her into the small living room. His phone trilled loudly and he glanced at it to see Dave calling but hit the ignore button, keeping all of his concentration on Josie.

"Love, talk to me." She had curled up onto the couch and he sat down next to her, lifting her head up carefully and placing in on his lap. She didn't say anything. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks and he sat stroking her hair, not knowing what else to do as his jeans became soaked with her tears.

After about twenty minutes of silence, broken only by her sobs, Josie finally sat up slowly, "I have to go home." Pete stared at her tear-streaked face, blotchy red spots marring her pretty features. He wiped a stray tear away from her eye with his thumb and she stared up at him silently.

"I know you do babe, I'll grab your computer." He cringed slightly at having to leave her for even a second and he walked quickly into her room to find her laptop in her schoolbag. He smiled slightly as he turned it on and saw her background picture – it showed a candid of the two of them: they were in the Abbey, Josie was seated in her usual place (his lap) and he was kissing her neck as she threw her head back in laughter. He returned to the living room to find Josie staring blankly at the photos of her family scattered around the room.

"Here gorgeous, turned on and everything." She tried to put a smile on her face but it simply came out as a grimace.

"Thanks, you." He returned to his place on the couch next to her and she climbed onto his lap, the computer perched on her knees. He watched in silence as she quickly went to multiple airline sites looking for the earliest flight possible. She seemed to find one and she grabbed her credit card from her wallet to pay. Pete's heart broke as he watched her first check her balance – he knew she couldn't afford a nearly 600 pound flight home. His heart thudded painfully as he realized it was a one-way flight home.

"Find one?"

She cringed, "Yeah, leaves at 9:30. You'll take me to Gatwick?" She looked up at him, pleading with her eyes. _Did she actually think he'd say no?_

"Of course," he nodded, "you wanna try to get some sleep?"

She nodded her head in response and he swept her up into his arms, carrying her into her bedroom. He set her down carefully on the bed, kneeling down next to her to gently pull off her sneakers. She sat up and pulled his oversize sweatshirt off her slim frame, "Stay?" Again, she looked up at him, pleading with him as though he would actually ever leave her.

He didn't respond instead he crawled into bed, wrapping his arms around her and she buried her head in his chest. She sobbed slightly and he felt his chest grow wet with tears. He pulled her close to him just trying to comfort her, "I love you." He whispered into hair and she looked up at him, trying to smile.

"I love you." Josie finally succeeded in giving a genuine, albeit small, smile up at him.

Her heart hurt painfully in her chest and her thoughts continued to stray to worst case scenarios for her father. Yearning for a distraction she pressed her lips softly to Pete's and he responded quickly, wrapping his arms even tighter around her and rolling her onto her back, covering her body with his. He kissed down her neck softly, trying to force as much love into them as possible – he had no idea how long she'd be gone, if she'd ever come back at all.

Josie pulled his shirt up and over his head, running her hands down his chest and when she reached his pants she quickly unbuckled them, using her feet to pull them down, "Joze, you sure?"

Her response was to wiggle out of her own pants, revealing a tiny white thong and she pulled her tank top off quickly, "_Please_, I need you to love me." The way she pled with him caused Pete to throw all caution into the wind and he quickly helped her lean up, removing her bra. He nibbled slightly at her collarbone, kissing his favorite freckle that lay just next to the hollow at the base of her neck before reaching her breasts.

No matter how many times he saw her naked he couldn't help but become breathless at the sight. She was gorgeous and she was his and he was scared to death he was going to lose her. He momentarily felt guilty at the selfish thoughts but pushed them from his mind, turning his full attention back to her. If she needed love, she'd get it.

He practically ripped her thong down her legs and entered her roughly, she arched her back, moaning slightly and he kissed her still tear-stained face. She held onto his shoulders as though her life depended on it, digging her nails into his back as he continued to thrust into her. It didn't take long before she was whimpering his name and she clenched around him, finishing with a loud cry. Long, pleasure filled minutes passed and she attacked the spot on his neck that always made him groan and he finished quickly, collapsing onto her as she sighed with pleasure.

He kissed her cheek tenderly, then her nose, and finally her soft mouth, "I love you. I promise I'll help you get through this," she gave a slight sob at that but he continued – she needed to know how he felt, "If you're gone a week or a year, I'll be waiting. Me and you, it's the only thing in this world I'm sure of." Tears streamed down her face and she gave him a soft kiss.

"I'll come back to you, I swear." Her brown eyes stared deeply into his and he knew she would.

Josie nestled into his chest, kissing the West Ham crest softly as she always did just before falling asleep. Normally, Pete followed quickly but tonight he sat watching her sleep, clutching her to him tightly. She sniffled slightly and occasionally a stray tear would seep from her eye and he would immediately wipe it away. Around three in the morning he finally dozed off and what felt like only minutes later but was in fact three hours he woke up to find the spot next to him empty and cold.

Disoriented, he swung his feet to the ground, as always cringing as his bare feet made contact with the cold floor, "Joze?"

He grabbed a pair of shorts he must have left there during warmer days, pulling them on as he walked into the kitchen. Josie was seated on top of the counter, phone pressed between her ear and shoulder. He walked towards her and she moved her legs apart to allow him to enter the space between them and hold her close to him. She wrapped her legs around him, softly tracing shapes on the nape of his neck.

"So no change?" the response on the other end was quick and clearly a negative as her face fell, "It's just after six here. My flight leaves at 9:30, lands in Logan around noonish." He watched her as she listened to her brother's instructions, "No, I'm not checking a bag. I'll meet you at the hospital. I'll see you soon, if he wakes up tell him I'm on the way and that I love him." Her voice cracked painfully and tears again began to leak from her eyes. She tightened her grip around Pete's waist and he planted a kiss on her shoulder reassuringly, "Ok, love you too Col."

"You all packed?" Pete asked, his heart clenching in his chest.

"Yeah, just the essentials; I don't know how long I'll be there but I can always buy more clothes." She tried to shrug casually but all she could think about was the unknown of what was going to meet her when she stepped off that plane. Pete leaned down giving her a soft kiss before lifting her off the counter and setting her on the ground.

"Well grab your stuff love, we gotta run home and grab my car then I'll take you over, kay?" She nodded in agreement, scurrying into her bedroom to grab the bag she'd packed silently as Pete had slept. Pete followed; searching through her bottom drawer where she kept clothes he'd left at her place. He pulled on an old t-shirt and he smiled slightly at Josie's outfit. She'd dressed in her favorite pair of jeans and a plain white tee but had pulled his sweatshirt on over. She was swimming in and he grinned at her, knowing how she loved the smell him that lingered on the old sweatshirt.

"I'm ready." She said in a small voice as she threw a small duffle bag over her shoulder, grabbing her Ipod off her bedside table. Pete took the bag from her and held his hand out to her, she took it quickly and he led them out of her apartment.

"I'll come by while you're gone, just to check in. Maybe go through your underwear drawer, try 'em on…ya know - what I usually do while you're gone." She shoved her shoulder into him slightly, managing to return his grin with a small one of her own.

"I bet you look good in frilly pink thongs Dunham, they seem to be your style." Pete tried to keep the conversation light as they walked the few blocks over to his apartment and it seemed to work, though Josie rarely said more than a sentence in response.

"Want me to grab you some breakfast?" She looked queasy at the thought of food and he held up his hands in surrender, "Ok, no food. Stay here love, I'll run upstairs and grab my keys."

Pete was in and out within three minutes. The car ride to Gatwick was mostly silent and Josie gripped his hand tightly the entire way. He insisted on parking and taking her in and to the gate. He led the way silently, bag over his shoulder and his free arm wrapped around her.

All too soon, Josie was checked in and waiting to head through security. A fresh round of tears now stained her face, this time at the prospect of leaving Pete. _How could the two people I needed most in this world be on opposite sides of the ocean?_

Pete rubbed his hands up and down her arms, "It'll be alright gorgeous, call me as soon as those wheels hit ground." She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him tightly.

"I will," her voice muffled into his chest, "I wish you could be with me." Pete's stomach clenched and he held onto her like a drowning man.

"I do too." He ran his hands through her long, brown hair, kissing her forehead softly, "I love you. Now go on, yer family needs you."

She tried to smile at him and she stood on tiptoes to kiss him softly, "I love you too. I'll call as soon as I hit pavement."

Josie gave him one final kiss before heaving her bag over her shoulder and striding as confidently as she could through security. Pete stared after her, watching for as long as she was in sight. Once she'd passed the gauntlet of guards she turned, gave a half way and pathetic smile in his direction. She mouthed the words 'I love you' and he grinned back at her.

He stared after her until she finally left his view and all he could think about was how his entire life was getting on a plane to fly three thousand miles away and he had no idea when she'd be back. A tear rolled down his face and he furiously wiped it away, turning on his heel and striding out of the terminal.

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**Things are starting to pick up - it's not always rainbows and butterflies. Matt will be appearing next chapter so you have that to look forward to!**

**Click the little button to make me smile!**

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	13. First Meetings & Reunions

**I'm getting much better at faster updates! **

**As always thank you for the reviews & I hope you like this one...I'm still kinda iffy on it but I trust you'll give me your brutal honest opinion.**

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"We're now making our final approach into Boston; it's a cold, clear day here – temps hovering at about 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Please put your seats in their upright position and all tray tables locked in, we'll be on the ground in about 15 minutes." Josie sniffled slightly, feeling her chest tighten, knowing she was going to be landing soon. She'd spent half the plane ride bawling in her window seat, the couple next to her giving her sidelong glances of horror that she'd barely registered. All she knew at this point was that she felt like she'd left half her soul in England with Pete.

Once she'd finally stopped crying she'd stared blankly out the window, praying to whoever was out there to keep her father alive and to keep Pete safe. Now, she'd be seeing if one of her prayers was answered.

The plane finally landed roughly and as soon as the wheels touched ground Josie grabbed her phone and turned it on. She saw she'd received two texts while in flight: the most recent from her brother Colin saying he was at the gate waiting and the other from Pete that simply said 'you & me…love you.' Her stomach rolled at the words, wishing (and not for the first time) that he was by her side. She didn't realize how much she'd come to rely on him as her source of happiness until she'd had to leave him.

She brought her phone to her ear as she hit the speed dial, hearing half a ring before, "Joze, love? How are we, babe?" She sighed in relief at the sound of his voice.

"Hi," she breathed into the phone, "Just landed – we're still taxiing to the gate. I just wanted to check in quick."

Pete smiled at the sound of her voice, though he could hear the exhaustion in it, "I'm glad you did. I won't keep you long but call when you can, k?"

"Of course," she paused as she saw the couple next to her eyeing her curiously and she turned away from them, lowering her voice to say, "I love you Pete."

"I love you. I'll see you soon, call me if you need me – don't worry bout the time change either, I'm serious Joze, anytime you need me."

Josie managed a real smile for one of the first times since hearing about her dad, "Thanks Pete. Give Terry and the boys my love too. I'll call soon."

Just as she ended the call with Pete, her phone vibrated in her hand and she answered quickly when she spied who it was "Hey Col, just landed. I'll be out as quick as I can. How is he?"

"He's in surgery right now; he was lucid for a few minutes before that and we told him you were on the way and that you loved him – just as promised. He said he loves you and he'll be seeing you." His voice cracked slightly causing a fresh round of tears to well in her eyes. She leapt from her seat, impatiently tapping her foot while trying to will everyone in front of her to move faster.

It didn't work.

After about a half hour she was finally through passport control and out the gate. She spotted her brother's head towering over the crowd and she practically knocked a toddler down as she ran to him, throwing herself into his waiting arms, "Jesus Colin, it's good to see you. Let's go." She linked her arm through his and dragged him out the door.

Beating the rush to the taxi stand the two hopped in the back of one, "Mass General Hospital, please" Colin instructed the driver and Josie leaned into his side, praying with all her might that her father meant he'd see her in this world and not the next.

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**Three Weeks Later **

"Heard from Ms. Josie lately?" Pete glanced up and was met with Terry's concern filled eyes. He flinched at the sound of her name and casually shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, she sounds…better; her dads out of the hospital and home now." And it was true, she did sound better, but that begged the question of why she was still gone.

Guilt bubbled in his chest as he selfishly thought about how she should be here with him, rather than across the ocean now that her dad was better. He felt like he was losing control of himself. He and the boys had gotten into with the Yids last night and he'd nearly beat their leader to death. He was going crazy without her and he still had no idea when she'd be back – every time he even broached the subject she quickly started rambling about something else.

Terry arched an eyebrow at Pete, "That's great mate." He seemed to sense Pete didn't want to talk about her anymore so he thankfully changed the subject, "So pay up Dunham, no tabs on match day – too likely you'll run out."

Pete smirked and patted his pocket to look for his wallet, feeling only emptiness, "Shit – musta lost it last night. Couldn't bend the rules just once, Terr?" Terry simply glared at him in response, "Ooook, I'll go pay a visit to Stevie then."

He leapt nimbly off the stool and glanced at his watch to see it was just after noon. As he strode toward the door he was suddenly blocked by one of the local girls.

"Hi ya Pete, good to see you." He stared blankly at her, trying to put a name to the face as she stared up at him hopefully. He took in her way too tight shirt, the face caked in makeup and the way she was trying to 'seductively' twirl a piece of stringy blonde hair around her finger. How the hell he was ever attracted to any of these local girls was beyond him. The only girl he'd ever be able to see anymore was Josie.

Finally coming up with her name, "Uh, nice to see you too Claire, but I'm just headin' out. I'll be back later."

He tried to skirt around her but Claire sidestepped and remained planted in front of him, "It's good to see you out on your own. You're too good for that Yank any way." She gave him a huge grin as Pete's mouth dropped open and his face burned with anger, his blood boiling at her words.

"Listen," his voice laced his venom, "Josie didn't leave me and there's no way in fuck I'm ever leavin' her, most especially not for a girl like you." He leaned down so he was inches from her face, "So do me a favor, love, go sell your shit somewhere else cause I'm not on the market." He finally shoved by the shocked girl whose face was now contorted in embarrassment and rage.

Pete stomped angrily out of the Abbey and into the fresh air of the day, _those girls are unbelievable. Like _I'm _the one that's too good for Joze_. He snorted to himself, shoved his hands into his coat and strode toward the nearest tube station to get to his brothers.

* * *

Pete took a swig of his beer and stared across the small kitchen at the shorter man leaning against the cabinet, "So 'ow are we, my colonial cousin?" He smirked as the other man responded in a real proper American accent that was nothing like Josie's carefree way of talking. He shook his head slightly, willing her out of his head for at least one night. He took another long gulp of beer, at this point booze was his only option of keeping thoughts of Josie at bay.

A minute later his brother reentered the kitchen, "Hey bruv, you couldn't make a hundred could you?"

Steve Dunham gave him a glare in return, "Yeah, how does piss off sound?"

"Oh fuck off. Come on." He pled then began to sing loudly, "Get some drinks in. Get some drinks in. Get some…"

Steve clenched his jaw then shoved him slightly, "Shut up! Just shut up. I'll tell you what I'll do, alright?" Pulling a few bank notes out of his wallet, he gestured towards Matt, "I'll give you a hundred, if you take Matt here to the match."

Pete stared back in horror, "Oh fuck off. You're havin' a bubble. Bruv, you know I can't take a Yank to football."

Steve stared back cockily, "Sure you can. And you're gunna be on your best behavior. Do you understand?"

Pete stared back calculatingly before grudgingly agreeing and unfortunately, minutes later he was striding down the sidewalk with Matt trailing along behind him.

Just around the corner from Steve's he turned to stop Matt, "Look mate, I'm not being funny, but the last thing I want to do is take you to the match with me. So here's how it works, you give me half the money, I'll go to football, and you can have a wander 'round where Churchill took a tom, or whatever it is you Yanks do here in Jolly old."

This simply caused Matt to look at him in confusion, "Tom?"

Pete sighed and rolled his eyes, Yanks were so clueless "Tom. A tom tit. A shit. It's rhyming slang, like bees and honey for money." He unwillingly remembered having to explain all of this to Josie months ago. She'd told him it was stupid and refused to respond if he used it around her, Pete thought it was mostly because she could never keep track of what he meant and she tended to misconstrue his meaning so much that he gave up trying, "Sos I could say to you, give me the fucking bees."

Matt leaned back on the brick wall, "I made a promise to Steve."

"Well Steve ain't here, is he mate. And to be honest, you're pissin' in the wind if you think I'm taking you with me."

"Well, I'm not giving you the money."

Pete sighed, this kid was dancing on his last nerve, "You ain't really got a fucking choice mate. And you're starting to get on my tits. Gimme 'alf the money."

Matt suddenly pointed behind him, "Cops!" At the same moment he tried to kick him and Pete smirked, grabbing his foot.

"Well 'ow fucking stupid do you feel now? Come on then, dance for me Yankee." He smirked at him as Matt hopped about on one foot, Pete finally kicked his other foot causing him to land on the ground, "That's what you get for fighting like a bleeding tart. But try that again and I will kick the shit out of you."

"Yeah, the tom out of me, I get it." Matt said from his position on the ground.

Pete laughed, maybe teaching Matt to have some balls would keep his mind off Josie. He reached his hand out to help him off the ground, "Get up, come on." Making a snap decision he said, "Fuck it, I will bring you with me, you might learn something." He turned and led him away, towards the tube that would bring them back to the Abbey.

Just as they neared the Abbey door Pete turned to him, "Alright, look. We're sort of goin' into my place of business, right? Shut up until you're spoken to and you might have a better run at things. The only thing regarded worse than a Yank around here are coppers and journalists. Though lucky for you, a female Yank is my girlfriend and works 'ere so you shouldn't have too hard a time of it." Again, his chest tightened painfully when he thought of Josie.

Matt stared back at him with cautiously, "What d'you got against journalists?"

Pete rolled his eyes remembering how he'd had the same conversation with Josie after she found out about the GSE, "How long have you got? They're lying fucking scum who'll write anything just to fill papers."

He turned on his heel and strode through the door of the Abbey making a beeline to their usual table in the back. He nodded hellos to a few of the old ones but mostly ignored everyone else. The usual gaggle of local girls were shooting daggers at him, apparently Claire'd spread the word of their little encounter. _Good_, he thought, _least now I won't have to fight them off at every turn. _

"Aye aye boys. This 'eres Matt, Shannon's brother. This is Dave, Ike, Ned, Swill and the one with the dodgy haircut in the corner is Keith." The boys all said their hellos as they settled in for a day of drinking and football. All in all things with Matt went smoothly with the exception of meeting Bovver but that was to be expected at this point in the game.

An hour or two later it was just Pete, Dave and Matt sitting at the table – the rest of the boys were scattered around the bar in various states of inebriation, "You 'ear from Josie, mate?"

Pete glared back at Dave, they all acted like she was there's too, "Yeah, she's doin' better. Her dad's home from the hospital so I'm hopin' she'll be back soon."

Dave arched an eyebrow at him, "She hasn't said when she'll be back?"

"Nope." The response clearly meant the end of the conversation and Pete turned away from Dave, unwilling to continue talking about Josie.

"Who's Josie?" Matt questioned Dave a few minutes later after Pete strode away from the table towards the men's room.

"Josie is Pete's girlfriend. She's a Yank like yerself , she's been here about nine months, goes to grad school at King's college." Dave sighed deeply before continuing, "She left abruptly about three weeks ago – her dad had a relatively massive heart attack. Pete's been a bloody mess since she left so I'd stay away from the topic of women with him if ya know what's good for you."

Matt stared at Dave calculatingly, "That why you brought her up to him?"

Dave tried to keep his face casual and shrugged, "We all miss her. She's an amazin' girl and plus we hate seein' Pete this way." Matt studied him silently and was about to respond when Pete returned back to the table loaded down with a tray of shots.

He placed them on the middle of the table and all the boys gathered around, "Ere mates, to the Hammers!" Matt raised his glass with the rest of them, downing the drink quickly.

The rest of the afternoon and night passed quickly with Pete and the rest of the boys rescuing him and the fight that followed being the highlights of a long day in this new, foreign country. By the time Pete brought him back to his place to crash his head was swimming from the daylong drinking binge and all of the new experiences. The journalist in him wanted to analyze everything now but as he sat on the couch his eyelids slid shut and he passed out for the night.

* * *

_Bang bang bang._ Matt woke with a start and nearly rolled off the couch he'd been sleeping on. Disoriented, he looked around the small apartment and it took half a minute for him to realize where he was. Memories from last night flooded back but his thoughts were interrupted by another loud bang on the door.

Matt's eyes flitted to Pete's closed bedroom door and when he heard no movement but the banging continued he cautiously walked to the door. He opened the door warily to reveal quite possibly the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen. She was just over five feet tall, long honey brown hair curled softly down her back and when his blue eyes met her brown ones he nearly gasped at the sight of them. She was wearing a pair of black yoga pants, an oversize sweatshirt and a scarf wrapped around her neck.

"Hmph, who the hell are you? Doesn't Pete Dunham live here still?" Her head tilted to the side quizzically and Matt struggled to find his wits to answer her while she simply shoved past him into the apartment, dropping a duffle bag on the floor as she went. Just as he was about to respond the door to Pete's bedroom swung open quickly to reveal him in just a pair of shorts and a furious look on his face.

"Who the fuck is makin' all this -" As soon as Pete spotted the girl his mouth dropped open and the question died on his lips.

A huge grin broke onto the girls face at the sight of Pete, "I'm gone a few weeks and you turn to men? Tsk, tsk babe, you promised you'd wait." She placed her hands on her hips and gazed back at Pete, a smirk dancing on her lips.

At the sound of her voice Pete seemed to snap out of his daze and crossed the room in two steps, gathering her into his arms in a tight hug as he began raining kisses down on her face and neck, burying his hands in her hair. Matt felt like he was intruding as he watched Pete reach her plump, pink lips and kiss her deeply, keeping her locked in his arms and half raised off the floor. When he finally set her down he gazed at her tenderly and Matt was shocked to see the look of adoration on his face as Pete softly traced a finger down her jaw-line, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It was as though this was a different man from the one who'd beat other men senseless last night.

"Jesus Josie, you're never leavin' my sight again." Matt recalled the conversation between Dave and Pete last night, recalling that Pete's girlfriend's name was Josie.

Josie kissed the tip of Pete's nose, "Never again baby, promise." Pete tucked her into the crook of his arm protectively, barely loosening his grip on her.

"Joze, this is Matt – Shannon's brother." Josie turned her eyes from away from Pete for the first time since he'd exited his room.

"Hullo Yankee Matt, my comrade in arms, eh?" Matt stared back at her in shock and wonder.

"Eh, yes?" His confused response elicited a giggle from Josie and a smirk from Pete.

"You'll get her humor eventually – she's certifiable on her best day." Pete smiled down at Josie and she gave a slight huff, "aw, Joze you know it's true. And you missy – I've been worried off my arse wondering where the hell you were. Coulda told me you were on a flight home, ya know."

She looked up at him with a dazzling smile, "Ah but then I woulda missed out on surprisin' you and you know how much I love surprises. Plus, I didn't want you to feel obligated to come out to the airport to pick me up after a match day." Pete started to protest at this but she cut him off with a raised hand, "Shush, I'm here now. And I bought you treats too!"

Pete reluctantly released his grip on her as she dug into her duffle bag, "Close your eyes," Pete immediately obeyed and Matt watched with a smile as she pulled a box of Twinkies from her bag, "Kay, open em."

"Twinkies!" Matt watched the scene unfold with confusion until Pete turned to him to explain, "Ever since Joze and I started dating I'd bug her about havin' her dad send over Twinkies because I always 'eard about them as a kid. Became a little joke – but finally I get to see what all the fuss is about!"

Josie stared up at him with stars in her eyes before nudging him in the ribs, "Oi, you didn't lose my key didja?"

Pete stared down at her in confusion, "Erm no, why? Did you?"

Josie gave a casual shrug, "Well I didn't lose it per se, I can tell you exactly where they are. Problem is they're sittin' on my bedside table in Southie…so you get the pleasure of escorting me home!"

Pete gave a slight huff, "Like I'm lettin' you outta my sight." He tapped her nose lightly and took her hand in his, "Come on Matt, we'll bring Josie home quick then I'll take ya back to Shan and Steve's."

Suddenly, Josie smacked Pete in the stomach hard, "Will you look at the state of him!? Pete, you let him fight?? And look at you baby." She touched took his face in her hands and touched his face tenderly, examining the bruises on his face.

He removed her hand carefully from his face, keeping it locked in his, "Its fine gorgeous, can't even feel 'em. Nothin' hurts if you're here." Matt nearly choked at that, Pete Dunham came across as the king of tough guys but in strolls this girl and he's a trained puppy.

Josie gave him a quick kiss then turned to Matt, "Alright, Matt's lookin' a little green at our little reunion. So let's get a move on. I've actually gotta be at the Abbey by noon for work."

Pete's face turned red with anger, "Unbelievable. Terry's makin' you work the day you get back!?"

"Oh relax, Terry would let me get away with murder if I asked him nice enough. I actually had to fight with him to let me work – I've got massive amounts of bills to pay that aren't goin' away anytime soon." Pete tensed slightly at her words but nonetheless dropped the subject.

Matt watched as Pete grabbed Josie's bag off the floor and he spoke for one of the first times that morning, "I'm just going to use the bathroom quickly, then we can go?"

Pete nodded his head in agreement, his eyes never leaving Josie's face. Matt walked hurriedly into the small bathroom, splashing water on his face trying to make sense of the past 24 hours. He rubbed his temples tiredly, feeling the beginning of a hangover. He washed his hands quickly and went to exit the bathroom. He heard a giggle coming from the other room and he walked loudly into the other room, trying to take care not surprise them.

It didn't work. He was instead met with the sight of Pete pressing Josie up against the kitchen wall, attacking her neck as she ran her hands down his back, clutching onto his shoulders with her legs wrapped around his waist tightly. Her eyes were closed in pleasure but at the slight noise from Matt they snapped open and her face burned as she tried to shove Pete away.

"Whoops, sorry Matt." The color that painted her face only served to make her even more attractive and Matt dropped his eyes to the ground, trying to quell any inappropriate thoughts of Josie, "Alright Dunham, unhand me before you scar poor Matt for life."

Pete dropped her to the ground, threw her bag over his shoulder and turned to Matt looking like a completely different man than he did just yesterday, "Eh, he's a big boy. And it's been three weeks, I couldn't help myself."

Pete grinned at Matt's shocked face which caused Josie to bury her face into Pete's side in embarrassment, "Argh, let's go. I've dilly dallied long enough, I wanna take a quick nap before work."

Pete took her hand, nodded towards Matt as he led the way, the satisfied smile stayed fixed on his face and Matt followed the couple out the door.

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**So Matt's here as promised. Obviously dialogue was taken directly from the movie with slight modifications.**

**I do hope you liked this chapter even though I'm unsure of it myself. Plllllease tell me how you feel, it'd be a great way to start the week off :)**


	14. Home

**I do believe this is my longest chapter ever. Yay me! I've been enjoying writing this much more and especially doing dialogue is getting easier. Hopefully you like it.**

**Any opinions on where you'd like to see the plot go would be great. I have a general idea of the direction I'm going but I'd love to hear from the readers. **

**As always thanks to my constant reviewers: Ithilya, Little Miss Bovver, Steffy-Michelle, CullensThePackAndMeLove, and Niffer01. Hearing from you all makes me keep truckin' on with this.**

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Josie leaned into Pete's side as he held her tightly while they walked the short distance between their flats. Matt trailed awkwardly just behind them and Josie leaned around Pete to try to include him in the conversation as much as possible, "So you're a Harvard man, huh?"

"More like _was_ a Harvard man – I got kicked out." Matt replied dryly.

Josie felt her face color, "Shit, I'm sorry Matt…I just remember Shannon mentioned you goin' to school there and I shoulda realized it was in the middle of the semester. I really need to learn to keep my big mouth shut." She trailed off causing Pete to pull her even tighter into his side and he gave her shoulder a reassuringly squeeze.

"You couldn't 'ave possibly known Joze." Pete told her as he glared over at Matt, daring him to get upset about it.

"You're terrible Pete and I'm an idiot." Josie said crossly, noticing the way he was looking at Matt.

Matt returned her words with a smile, "Nah, there was no way you could have known. So you're from Boston I hear?"

Josie smiled back at him gratefully, "Yeah, South Boston to be precise but I went to BU for my undergrad. Where're you from?" They continued to chat about the States as they walked quickly through the cold and Josie found herself feeling relieved that he wasn't as uptight as Shannon was when they'd first met.

In no time they arrived at her flat and as Pete opened the door for her she took in the familiar surroundings, noticing Pete had kept his word and stopped in. The place was spotless.

"Geez, it's even cleaner than it was before I left. I may hire you as my fulltime maid," she joked.

Pete smirked down at her and pulled her into another bone crushing hug. He hadn't stopped touching her in some way since she'd showed up at his apartment…not like she minded. To be honest, she'd felt some paranoia that Pete wouldn't be happy to see her, that he may have moved on while she was gone and that she'd find him in bed with another girl. She felt stupid now for ever doubting him.

"Whatever baby wants, baby gets." Pete said a line from _The Break Up_ that he'd started using frequently after they'd watched it together a few weeks before she'd left.

Josie rolled her eyes up at him, "Ugh, I thought you'd forget about that by now!" Pete leaned down, capturing her lips with his and Josie smiled into the kiss. She nearly got lost in him again before remembering Matt and her eyes snapped open to see him awkwardly standing between the kitchen and living room, not knowing what to do with himself.

She unwillingly pulled away from him and Pete grinned down at her unapologetically, "Can't help it, sorry." He said, looking anything but, "You look exhausted," he continued with concern in his eyes and Josie yawned loudly in response.

She glanced at her watch, noting she'd only be getting about two hours of sleep before heading to work, "Yeah, you boys should get goin', Stevie is gonna have your head when he sees Matt and I want all fighting finished quickly so that you're my first customer."

Pete grimaced in response, half for having to leave her already and the other half thinking about how his brother would react, "You don't want to come, love? Steve would be so happy to you he wouldn't even notice Matt."

Josie grinned up at him, "Nope – you and the fleet got him into this mess, so _you_ as the leader have to get 'im out." Pete rolled his eyes at her, leaning down for one final kiss before finally addressing Matt.

"Alright mate, let's get you back. You –," he pointed at Josie, "Get some rest, I'll be at the Abbey before you know it." She smiled softly and he leaned in close to whisper, "You'll be stayin' at mine tonight, no argument…I've slept like shit since you've been gone."

"That makes two of us." Josie answered truthfully, between everything that'd gone on at home coupled with not being nestled into Pete's side she'd been averaging about 4 hours of sleep a night, "Now _go_, I'll see you in a bit." She said, shoving him out the door, "Nice to meet you Matt, come round to the Abbey when you can," she gave him a smile before turning to Pete with the smile she only gave to him.

"Ah, that's what I've been waitin' for," he said softly, leaned in for one final _final_ kiss then strode down the hallway with Matt following his lead.

* * *

Josie walked carefully into the Abbey, seeing that it was already half full for noon on a Sunday. She pulled the baseball hat she was wearing down over her eyes, trying to be inconspicuous, at least until she got behind the bar.

No such luck.

"Holy shit, _JOSIE_!" She cringed slightly but then her face broke into a large grin when she was enveloped in a huge bear hug. Swill lifted her off her feet and twirled her around like a rag doll. Excited cries joined his and she was suddenly being passed around like a football to each of the boys, finally landing in Dave's waiting arms. He hugged her tight and she grinned up at him.

"Ello gorgeous, you not plannin' on runnin' out on any of us again, are ya? We've been lost without you." Josie smiled and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Not plannin' on going anywhere anytime soon, trust me. _Terry_!" He had suddenly emerged from the storeroom and she ran at him full force, hugging him tight. Josie had known how important Pete was to her but she'd had no idea how attached she'd become to the rest of them.

Terry pulled her into another hug, "We've missed ya freckles, this place has never been filled with such miserable sods since you left. Even the old timers were cryin' in their beers."

Josie gave a small giggle, hitting Terry in the stomach softly, "I don't believe it. But lucky for you lot I've missed you too."

She moved to stand behind the bar and the boys immediately crowded around yelling over each other to be heard, "Does Pete know you're back?" Dave questioned.

Ike fired out, "How's yer Da?"

"What'd you bring us?" Swill yelled loudly, searching through her bag to see if there was anything hidden in its depths.

Josie laughed and held up her hands in defeat, "Whoa, one question at a time and Swill – stop pawing through my stuff, your presents are back at my place." Swill grinned widely back at her and she turned back to face the rest of the boys.

"Ike – my dad's doin' much better; he's home and choking down rabbit food as he calls it and still trying to sneak Big Macs but all in all he's doin' well." Ike gave her a reassuring smile and Josie turned to Dave, raising an eyebrow, "And didja think my first stop'd be the Abbey? I saw Pete this morning and met Shannon's brother; sweet welcoming party by the way – getting the poor Yank in a fight his first day."

She glared slightly at the boys surrounding her and all but Bovver had the sense of mind to look ashamed, "Now, who wants to be my second first customer?" Swill began downing his pint quickly, racing Ike in an impromptu chugging contest and he slammed his empty glass on the counter seconds before Ike did.

"Yes!" He shouted, throwing a triumphant fist in the air, "I win, pint me Joze."

Josie smiled back at him before reaching up to grab a few glasses to give the boys. Just as she finished getting the final pint and handing it to Keith's waiting hand the door swung open to reveal Pete with Matt in tow. She felt her face break into another grin and butterflies danced in her stomach, _fuck I've missed him_. She watched as his eyes frantically searched the crowd as though her appearance this morning had been an illusion and when they settled on her behind the bar he visibly relaxed, striding quickly towards her.

He reached her in moments, leaning across the bar to kiss her cheek lightly, "Hi baby, you miss me?" All the boys surrounding them gave playful groans of disgust.

"Fuck Pete, thought your balls grew back last week, 'parentley not." Bovver said viciously, glaring disgustedly at Josie before turning on his heel and storming over to their usual table.

Josie's face twisted into a grimace as Pete nearly went after him until she grabbed his arm tightly, "Don't bother – it's not like he's ever liked me and I'm sure another Yank around doesn't help matters." The rest of the boys glared in Bovver's direction but Josie waved them all away, "Welcome back me, huh?"

Swill leaned over the bar to pinch her cheek, "Well _we_ all missed our wittle Josie bear, we was miserable without you – Petey most especially."

Josie grinned back at Swill as she swatted his hands away, "I think a welcome back Joze party is in order, eh boys?" Dave said, grinning at Josie as her eyes widened in surprise.

"No, no, no – you know I hate just-for-me parties." She flapped her hands frantically at the mad glint that had appeared in Dave and Swill's eyes. She looked to Pete for help but he simply held up his hands in defeat and smirked before walking towards the pool table to chat with Matt who'd taken up residence in the corner of the bar, away from the reunion.

Swill lunged forward and gave a fist pump of victory, "Yes!" he cried, pointing at Josie, "You sussed us out for your birthday but there's nooo stoppin' us this time, we even have Pete's blessing." This caused Josie to drop her head in her hands after glaring in Pete's direction – they all _knew_ she hated parties just for her. She'd learned about the surprise party they'd been planning for her birthday a week in advance and managed to trick Pete into cancelling it for her.

"We should get that poncey lookin' bird to help us," Swill said with a smirk. Ever since Josie had brought Emma to the Abbey a few times Swill'd been hell bent on bedding her. Before she could stop him, he'd reached into her bag and removed her phone quickly dialing Emma's number. She rolled her eyes and threw a slice of lemon at the back of Swills head before storming down the length of the bar, away from their party plotting.

* * *

A few hours later Josie was downstairs in the storeroom counting through bottles of liquor and trying not to yawn for the fiftieth time that day. She leaned her head against the shelf, closing her eyes tiredly for a few seconds until she felt the warmth of a body wrap around her and a familiar scent surround her. She leaned back into Pete's tall frame as he kissed her shoulder softly before turning around to face him.

Pete smirked down at her and leaned down to kiss her lips gently, "You get tired of listenin' to the party plannin'?"

Josie hit his chest, "Not funny, some boyfriend you are leaving me high and dry like that."

He stuck his lower lip out in an exaggerated pout, "Aw gorgeous, they're just happy you're home. Not nearly as thrilled as I am though." He lifted his eyebrows suggestively at her and she felt her pulse quicken at the familiar look and his darkening blue eyes. It had been too long since they'd been together. Josie pulled Pete down to her, kissing him roughly and he responded eagerly, taking her lower lip in his mouth and sucking lightly.

Josie wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and he lifted her into his arms as she wrapped her legs around him tightly. He twirled them around slamming her against the wall as he kissed down her neck, running his hands down her body and cupping her ass, "Fuck Joze, I've missed you. I need you." Pete murmured his voice rough with desire as he sucked her earlobe softly.

"Mm, baby – I know, soon." She moaned as he sucked on her neck lightly causing her head to go fuzzy.

"I was thinkin' more like now." Josie looked at him, her eyes hooded with desire and she could barely think straight while he was kissing her neck like that. She could feel him against her as he pushed even closer, molding their bodies into one. She whimpered slightly at the friction and all rational thought went straight out the window. The fact that they were in the storeroom and that anyone could come in at any moment had nothing on getting to be with Pete.

She reached down to unbuckle his pants, hearing his belt hit the floor as he was running his hands up and down the bare skin of her back as he reached to unclasp her bra. She clung to his tall frame tightly as he moved to pull both of their shirts off, her bra following quickly. Just as their clothes dropped to the floor Josie heard a slight noise and her eyes snapped open only to meet the shocked look on Dave's face.

"Oh my God, _Dave_." Pete wrenched his lips from her neck and glared at her.

"Fuck Josie, did you seriously just call me Dave?" Josie's face flushed crimson as she nodded her head in the direction of the door. Pete turned to look and his face colored slightly as he dropped Josie to the floor, shielding her half naked body with his.

Tense silence filled the air for a minute until Pete cleared his throat loudly and Dave leapt back as though burned, "Oh fuck, I am _so_ sorry. I just – it's just that, Terry told me to come check on Josie and I didn't know you were down here mate. And I just…" He continued to babble frantically while staring at the couple as Josie tried to awkwardly get her shirt off the ground without being seen.

"Dave, _Dave_!" Pete shouted, interrupting another round of apologies, "It's alright mate, just…fuck off for right now, let Joze get decent, yeah?" Dave caught Josie's eye and his face burned a bright red as he turned quickly, sprinting up the stairs.

Pete made sure they were completely alone before relaxing his tense stance and turning to her, "So maybe the storeroom wasn't the best place for a reunion?" he tried to joke slightly, smirking down at her frazzled state.

Josie's face remained a bright crimson red and she leaned her head into his chest, heaving a sigh of embarrassment, "I can_not_ believe that just happened. You don't think he saw anything, do you?"

Pete's eyes darkened in rage, he hadn't even thought about the fact that Dave may have caught a glimpse of Josie's naked top half and his entire frame shook at the thought, "I'll rip his eyes out if he did."

Josie tried her best to glare at him through her embarrassment, "Jesus Pete, like it's his fault we were about to fuck in the storeroom?"

Unwillingly, Pete smirked down at her as he leaned down to kiss her sweetly, "Yer so cute when you're embarrassed slash mad, you know that?"

Josie smacked him away, "Ugh, don't – that's how we got into this mess. How in the hell am I going to ever look Dave in the eye again?" She groaned slightly as she shoved him further away.

Against her will, Pete wrapped her in his arms giving a kiss to her now clothed shoulder, "Sorry baby, you'll be fine. And it's not my fault I can't resist you, you're just too hot."

Josie rolled her eyes and leaned up to press a kiss to his lips, "Ass…now go away before you start something you can't finish."

"Oh I'll finish it alright," he pulled her tight and grabbed her ass tightly, "tonight." He whispered the promise then finally released her to head upstairs.

Josie watched him until he'd reached the top of the stairs and she heard the door slam shut. Her face still burned and she tried to get her breathing under control. She mentally scolded herself for getting caught in such a situation but as her thoughts strayed to what could have happened she felt her entire body grow warm and her knees felt weak.

Josie had always fancied herself to be tougher than the average girl but again she was shocked to find just how willing she was to give Pete anything and everything he ever asked for. A small smile played on her lips as she realized she'd at least found a man that seemed to reciprocate those feelings.

She worked quickly, finishing stocking the rest of the room in minutes and as she turned to leave she felt her face burn again, _gottta face him sometime_, though the thought of having to look Dave in the eye made her nervous as she was pretty sure he'd caught a glimpse of her topless. She bit down on her lip nervously and walked slowly up the stairs, keeping her eyes on the ground as she reached the top of the stairs. She could hear Swill arguing with Ike about something football related and she chanced a glance at their table.

Dave was wedged uncomfortably between Swill and Ike and he had his eyes trained on the glass in his hands. Pete was casually seated at the head of the table, leaning back arrogantly as he smirked at the argument between the boys. Josie smiled when he seemed to sense her presence and he caught her gaze with a wink. She rolled her eyes as he gave her a wide grin and she immediately whipped her head around when she saw Dave watching the two of them. Her face burned again so she decided the best course of action was to ignore him, not the most mature thing to do but it was all she could come up with.

Retaking her place behind the bar next to Terry she pasted on a fake smile before turning to help the next customer. The eyes that met hers were unfriendly to say the least. Watery blue eyes shadowed by bright purple makeup glared into her face. Josie immediately recognized one of the local girls that were usually hanging on the GSE's coattails. She had noticed that the girls had kept their distance today but hadn't questioned it as she was more than thrilled to not have to watch them throwing themselves at Pete.

"The bitch is back, eh? Can't say we missed you," Josie stared back in disbelief at the girl, her mouth open in shock, she didn't even know her name, "and can't say we're happy you're back."

Josie frowned, "Funny – can't say I missed you lot either. Though I don't see how it's any business of yours that I'm back at all." She turned to leave but was stopped when the nameless girl grabbed her arm tightly and leaned over the bar.

"It is _my_ business. Listen, I've known Pete a long time and he goes through girls like you like Kleenex. It's amazing you've lasted so long but mark my words, he'll drop you like a bad habit as soon as you get too clingy." Josie's mouth dropped open again at her words and her eyes narrowed in rage.

She leaned over the bar so her face was inches from the other girl, gripping her wrist as the other girl's hand was still latched onto Josie's arm, "Now you listen to me: I don't give a flying fuck what you and the rest of the local whores think of me. I don't care if you think Pete's gonna leave me for one of you, because I know that's not going to happen. But let me tell you – if you ever touch me again I will kick the shit out of you, got it?"

Josie felt the blood thundering through her head and the girl wrenched her arm out of her grasp turning to leave, "Whatever, too bad your dad lived – maybe if he'd died you would've stayed where you belonged."

The next thing Josie knew she was climbing up and over the bar and had tackled this nameless girl to the ground. She got in one punch before strong arms were ripping her off of the other girl. Josie kicked out, trying to reach the girl but was hindered by Pete clutching her to him tightly, "You fucking bitch – if you _ever_ say a word about my family again I'll kill you." She hissed violently and tried again to get at her.

The bar had fallen completely silent, all eyes on the encounter and a few of the other local girls were helping up the girl Josie'd gone after, "Claire – stay the fuck away from her." Josie heard Terry saying but all she could hear repeating in her head was the wish of death on her father.

Pete held her tight, not relaxing his grip on her and murmured into her ear, "Relax Joze, what happened?"

Josie continued to fight against him, still trying to get at Claire who was now covered in her own blood. The one hit seemed to have broken her nose, "She said she wished my dad had died so that I'd have stayed in the States." Josie replied and she felt Pete tighten his grip on her, letting out a hiss of anger, "Now let me _go_ so I can kill her, please."

Josie continued to struggle and Pete dragged her away from the crowd into the backroom. He trapped her against the wall, using his strength to stop her from escaping. He had to admit, when she was this angry she packed quite a bit of force in her small frame. Finally, after a few minutes she relaxed against him and he took the opportunity to pull her into a hug. Pete was shocked when he felt his neck grow wet from her tears.

"Joze, talk to me – why're you cryin' love?"

Josie sniffled slightly, "I don't belong here. I mean Bovver hates me, all the local girls hate me, I'll always be an outsider. I just don't get it – am I so hard to like?"

Pete cupped her face in his large hands, forcing her eyes to meet his, "You belong with me. I'm sure of that. Fuck the lot of 'em." He kissed her tenderly and she felt the rest of the world melt away. She'd always be an outsider to all of them but as long as she had Pete she just might be able to accept anything else that came her way.

"Now lemme look at your hand, that was quite a hit." Josie managed to smile up at him and for the first time she felt the dull pain in her right hand. Pete took her hand gently in his, rubbing the knuckles softly.

"Oi, you alright there Rocky?" Josie looked up to see Terry leaning in the frame of the door, smirking at her slightly.

"I'm so sorry Terry, I can't believe I let her get to me like that." She hung her head in shame as she realized just how crazy she must have looked.

"Yer fine love, there's not a person in this place that blames you for goin' after her like that. To take a run at your dad was outta line." Josie tried to smile back at him but all she kept hearing was Claire's voice saying she wished her dad had died.

"Why don't you take off for the day? You must be beat." Josie met Terry's concern filled face and nodded her head in agreement.

"Yeah, I should've listened to you when you said to take my time getting back to work." Pete rolled his eyes slightly, wishing she'd listened to the two of them as it would have prevented this day, "Thanks Terr, I'll come by tomorrow to chat and figure out my schedule, yeah?"

Terry nodded his head and Josie walked forward to hug him goodbye then turned to Pete, holding out her hand for him to take. They walked out of the backroom and were met by the boys all crowding around the door waiting for her to reappear.

"With a punch like that we could use you in the GSE love, you thinkin' of joinin us?" Swill grinned down at her and Josie shoved him away in embarrassment.

"Noo thank you, I'm a lover not a fighter…the exception being if anyone says shit about my family and or you lot." The boys all grinned in return but Josie noticed the way Dave seemed to hang back slightly when she'd become used to him being at the forefront. In the aftermath of the fight she'd nearly forgotten about Dave interrupting her and Pete. _Christ whatta first day home,_ she thought bitterly.

She felt Pete squeeze her hand tightly, "Alright boys, I'm off. Too much thrown at me when I've had about three hours of sleep. I'll see you lot tomorrow, yeah?" They all nodded in agreement, shouting out goodbyes as Pete led her out of the din of the Abbey and into the cold, clear day. Matt had decided to stay behind, Josie forcing Swill to pinky promise he'd deliver him back to Pete's in one piece.

The couple walked hand in hand towards Pete's catching up along the way on the three weeks they'd been separated. Pete couldn't stop looking at her or touching her to ensure that she really was here. He knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that he had to spend the rest of his life with her. The three week separation had nearly killed him and just the thought of her ever leaving him again physically hurt.

He smiled as she leaned into his side and he wrapped his arm around her tightly, "You hungry or anything? We've got to fatten you up, looks like you lost a stone in less than a month." Pete had been so relieved to see her this morning but as the day had progressed he'd got a chance to examine her closer and he'd noticed how much smaller she seemed. Her clothes hung off her frame and there were large bags under her normally bright, brown eyes.

Josie shrugged her shoulders, "To be honest food was sorta at the bottom of my list the past few weeks, followed closely by sleep. I just haven't been hungry lately but right now I'd kill for a kebab if you're buyin'." She said with a smile.

"Course I am, come on then." They walked quickly to the nearby kebab place and Pete waited until after they were seated with Josie inhaling her food before asking what had been on his mind for some time, "You talk to your professor yet?"

Josie visibly cringed, "A bit, he's still not sure my thesis is viable or not."

Prior to her dad's heart attack Josie had been trying to get into the PhD program at King's college. If she did, it meant Pete would have her for at least another couple of years. If she didn't…well he didn't like to think about that but her student visa would be up in September and if she wasn't offered a permanent job at the museum Pete could kiss his world goodbye.

Pete nodded his head in response, not knowing what else to say, "Baby, I know you're worried I'm just gonna up and leave once I'm done my masters but do you honestly think I could just walk out on you? We'll figure something out, pinky promise." He smiled as she held out her pinky to him and he looped his around hers, taking her hand to his lips and kissing it softly.

"Forget I brought it up," he said, trying to keep it casual, "I'm just glad you're home."

Josie grinned at his words, "Me too. Now for a recap: I find you with another man, Dave catches us half naked and I broke some girl's nose. I certainly know how to return in style, huh?"

"No one can ever compete with your style," he watched her as she continued to smile at him and he felt desire stir within him, "You about finished? I want to get you home to finish what we started earlier."

Josie's heart raced at the familiar look in his eyes and she wolfed down the rest of her food before grabbing his hand and running towards his place. _Fuck it's good to be home_, she thought. Forgetting how unwelcome she'd felt earlier today all she could think about was how Pete was now her home.

* * *

**I reeeally, truly hope you're all enjoying this & if not, tell me! **


	15. Dates

**Not much to say so I'll make it quick: Thanks to the readers & my ever faithful reviewers, you know who you are & I just can't thank you enough. **

**I swear I am going somewhere with all this soo keep with me :)**

* * *

Josie stretched lazily, her eyes still closed as she reached for the space next to her only to find it empty. Her eyes snapped open as she searched around Pete's empty room. Just as she was about to climb out of bed in search of him the door of the bathroom swung open to reveal him half-dressed; his shirt was open casually and he had yet to buckle his belt. In short, he looked delicious.

She grinned devilishly at him and crooked a finger in his direction, beckoning him back to bed. She chanced a small movement and immediately regretted it as she found herself quite sore from their activities last night. She ran her hands down her body, rubbing her aching frame softly. Josie heard Pete groan and she looked up to see him watching her, eyes dark with lust, "Fuck I can't leave you like this."

He closed the space between them easily, quickly covering her body with his and kissing her deeply, tilting her head back in order to kiss her neck softly, "Oops."

Josie looked up at him in confusion, "Oops, what?"

"Your neck – I got a little carried away it seems. Good thing it's scarf season." Josie's face flushed red but she managed a smirk nonetheless.

"Seems you didn't look in the mirror carefully enough babe, you've got some marks of your own," Pete's eyes widened in shock causing Josie to giggle slightly as she traced a finger along the slight mark on his neck.

Pete closed his eyes, a small smile on his face, "Yer gonna make me late if you keep touchin' me like that," he managed to murmur to her and she smiled up at him.

"So says the half-undressed man pressing his naked girlfriend into the bed?" she questioned lightly.

Pete groaned, holding her body tighter to his, "I don't want to leave you. Ever."

Josie smiled as she pressed a kiss to the slight mark on his neck, "I'm not goin' anywhere. Ever," she replied sweetly, "But…as much as I'd love for us to stay locked in your bedroom forever methinks we'd starve and go broke for lack of funds. So go forth and make me some money, honey."

He nuzzled his nose against hers softly, "Ah but if we never wear clothes we'd only need money for food." She shoved him off of her playfully, "Alright fine, I'll go to work." He heaved a theatric sigh as he ran his hands through her hair, moving down to cup her face softly, "How about I take you out on a proper date tonight?"

Josie arched a delicate eyebrow up at him, "Just what does a 'proper' date entail, Mr. Dunham?"

"Well," Pete started, as he allowed his hands to wander from her face, tracing her jaw-line softly before moving down to her naked frame, "it involves that little black dress you have hidden in the back of your closet," his fingers moved lower and lower until they reached her hip, dancing along the edge of her waist as he pushed the sheet that was covering her lower half aside in pursuit of her bare skin, "those lacy red knickers with the matching bra," as he spoke his fingers inched closer and closer until she threw her head back in pleasure as he pressed one finger into her, "a fancy meal of gourmet food at some poncey restaurant in the middle of the city," he felt her clench around his finger as he inserted another and she let out a delicious moan, "and it ends with you screaming my name in pleasure."

"Fuck Pete," she moaned, "If that's the way you always ask me out I don't think I'll ever say no." He kissed her softly, smiling into her warm, soft skin, "Gah Pete, you're going to be even later if you keep this up – I'm serious, I'll tie you to the bed."

Pete smirked at the thought but managed to tear his eyes away from her to the clock next to his bed, "Shit, you're right, I gotta go." He removed his hands from her body reluctantly, "Stay as long as you want love and I'll be over yours to pick you up at 7 sharp, got it?"

Josie smiled up at him through half-closed eyes, already feeling herself falling back to sleep in contentment, "Ok baby…love me?"

She tilted her head to the side questioningly and he pressed a hard kiss to her lips, "Course I do, love you with everything I have." He smoothed her hair back, ecstatic that she'd returned to him, reveling in everything that was Josie.

"Good, cause I sorta love you too." She gave him one more kiss before shoving him away, "Now _go_, before you get fired for skipping school." He smirked down at her in reply before finally walking out of the bedroom to hurry off to work.

* * *

Josie sat bundled in the corner of the Starbucks around the corner from her apartment typing away on her laptop when she sensed someone looming over her. She glanced up to see Dave staring down at her and she wrenched her headphones out of her ears, jumping slightly, "Shit – you scared me," her face flushed red and she smiled up at him as best she could, "Hi."

Dave gave a half smile and an awkward shrug of his shoulders, "Hi to you too Joze, can I sit?"

"Course," she quickly shoved aside the majority of her papers that had been covering the small table to make room for him to plop into the chair next to her. Awkward silence reigned for a few moments as they both tried desperately to not make eye contact.

Finally Josie groaned, "This is just ridiculous. Dave, look at me." She reached a hand out and grabbed his tightly, "Let's just forget you ever walked in on me and Pete, yeah? Then we can go back to being besties!"

Dave rolled his eyes at her, a grin threatening to break on his face, "Ugh, fine Joze. But the fact of the matter is that I did walk in on you two and I have to tell you…"His voice trailed off awkwardly, his eyes dropped to the table and his face burned a deep red.

"You saw me," she stated bluntly, to which he could only nod his head in return. Josie felt her face heat but she continued anyway, "So what? Doesn't change anything: I'm still Josie, you're still Dave and we're still friends – no harm no foul."

Dave nodded his head slightly, "You're right. It's just…Pete'd kill me if he knew."

"Oh believe me I know," she rolled her eyes at the thought of what Pete would do if he knew for sure that Dave had saw her topless, "You know him. He's jealous and possessive in a strangely endearing way. So it just might be better if you don't go having some brutally honest man-to-man chat because I think you'd end up dead."

Dave made a slight noise at that, "Dead? He'd torture the image out of my brain first _then_ he'd kill me."

"So, like I said: it never happened. You saw nothing, so now Pete doesn't have to kill you and we can all live in peace." Josie gave him a reassuring smile that he finally managed to return.

"Whatever you say gorgeous, now what are we workin' on here." He picked up one of her books to look at the title, flipping it over the read the back.

"Ugh, it's my final paper for my Conflict Prevention & Peace Building course."

Dave smirked at her, "Peace Building?"

"I know, right?" she smiled back at him, "I signed up for it so I could learn how to help my hooligan boyfriend and his mates solve their problems peacefully without resorting to fist-fighting."

"So says the girl that broke a local's nose last night?" She threw a stray sugar wrapper at him that he swatted away easily.

"Ass. You're as bad as Pete is." He simply smiled back at her causing Josie to laugh slightly, "Now what is it you're doin' here, mister?"

He shrugged, "I didn't have any flights today and imagine my shock as I went for my morning coffee to find my favorite Murphy sittin' 'ere," his voice took on a serious tone as he continued, "We missed you Joze, seriously, we was all a mess without you. Pete especially."

"So I've heard. Those are some pretty vicious bruises he's sporting." She raised her eyebrows at Dave questioningly, whose face immediately turned innocent. Josie snorted at the look, "Don't pull that angel face with me mister, lemme have it."

Dave gave her a blank look, "Joze, it was nothing. You've been with Pete long enough to know what happens after a day of drinking especially on a Match day."

Josie raised her eyebrows in disbelief, "Don't bullshit a bullshiter Davey. I'm not an idiot, he was riskier while I was gone, wasn't he?"

Dave sighed, "Course he was, I told you – he was a fuckin' mess. I've never seen him like that, not in all the years I've known him," he rubbed his temples tiredly as Josie looked at him thoughtfully.

She reached out and took his hand in hers, "Dave – look at me. What's goin' on?"

"Dunno," he shrugged, "everything just seems different this year. Like it isn't all sucha joke anymore."

"Beating the shit outta strangers is a joke?" Josie shook her head, she'd never understood the GSE, never understood how enjoying a football game made you want to head-butt someone.

"Come on Josie, I know Pete's explained it better than that to you – it's about havin' pride in your team and defendin' yer mates."

At this Josie rolled her eyes dramatically which caused Dave to snort, "You boys are idiots, please just promise me one thing."

"Anything for you," Dave answered her honestly, "what is it?"

"Watch out for him, k? I can't be there to make sure he doesn't get hurt but you can. He takes risks; he thinks he's unstoppable, unbreakable. Thinks he can't be hurt or…worse. And…I just can't – I can't…" tears started to well in her eyes and she bit down on her cheek in an attempt to stop herself from crying, "I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Dave rubbed her hand softly that was still clasping his tightly, "I promise – I'll look out for him."

"Thank you," she managed to whisper, continuing to bite on her lip trying to keep the tears at bay, "fuck, I thought I'd be done crying after the past few weeks." She wiped furiously at her face as a stray tear rolled down her cheek.

"Yer fine Joze, you've had a rough go of it. No one blames you for a little breakdown every now and again." He gave her a reassuring smile that she managed to return slightly.

"Ugh, this is ridiculous: I'm home, my dad's recovering, Pete's safe and you lot all seem to be ok. Welllll as ok as any of you twats ever are. So enough of this depressing talk." She grinned at Dave as best she could, "Now tell me mister, any ladies caught your eye lately."

Dave blushed slightly causing Josie to give a yelp, "Yes!" she wagged a finger at him in a scolding manner, "you've been holdin' out on me – now who is she?"

"Just some girl I know…from, uh work."

"Aw," she whined, "So it's no one I know?"

Dave snorted at the suggestion, "You don't know girls, Josie."

"Hey!" She threw a coffee stirrer at his head, "I know girls…like Emma and uh, the Starbucks girl that remembers my order," she strummed her fingers in thought, "and the um, whores from the Abbey." Dave smirked at her, "Alright fine, so I don't know girls but whatever – now tell me about her."

"She's gorgeous and funny and one-of-a-kind and way outta my league." Dave sighed slightly and Josie smacked him softly in the head.

"Hey now! No girl is way outta your league, you're definitely out of _her_ league. I don't even have to know her to say that," she said confidently as Dave simply rolled his eyes, "I'm serious Dave. You deserve a great girl cause you're a great guy."

"And you're a cheese ball missy, "Josie gave an indignant huff, "but who doesn't love cheese? Now, you bout finished that gigantic coffee? I'd like to take my little cheese puff out for a welcome back kebab."

Josie smiled, "Pete already beat ya to it but you can certainly treat me to welcome back fish and chips."

Dave nodded and she gathered her things quickly and leapt from the small table. He held his hand out to her and they walked outside into the early afternoon sun. Josie tightened her scarf around her neck from the cold, smirking slightly at the memory of what was hidden under it. She linked arms with Dave as they walked quickly towards the local chipper, chatting happily as they went, completely unaware of the set of eyes that had spotted the pair in the shop and were now following their path down the road.

* * *

Pete knocked on the door of Josie's flat, anxious to see her even though it'd been less than 12 hours. He held a bouquet of tulips, tapping his foot impatiently before finally wondering why he even bothered knocking on the door at all. He swung the door open only to find Dave sitting on Josie's couch, nursing a beer with his feet resting casually on the coffee table and his girlfriend nowhere in sight.

"Ai ai bruv," Dave yelled loudly, "Those flowers are mighty perdy, they for me?"

Pete rolled his eyes and grimaced, "Fuck off outta 'ere, where's Joze?" His eyes scanned the room for any sign of her, finally landing on her bag leaning up against the couch which at least confirmed she was somewhere in the place.

"No need to get your panties in a twist, I'm right here," Pete looked towards the entrance to the kitchen and felt his breath catch in his throat.

"Fuck me," he mumbled as she smiled softly at him, a twinkle sparkling in her beautiful brown eyes. The black strapless dress she was wearing clung to her slight frame, showing off the curves of her body. She had straightened her hair and it fell down her back, nearly reaching her waist. Her eyes lit up at the flowers he was holding out to her and he quickly crossed the room, gathering her into arms in a tight hug, "You're so gorgeous it's criminal." He whispered in her ear, kissing her neck softly.

"Erm, I'm gonna take off," Pete barely heard Dave say as he kissed Josie deeply and he chose to wave his hand in response rather than remove his lips from hers. He heard the door shut softly and he pulled away reluctantly, smoothing her soft hair away from her face.

"Miss me?" she smiled up at him and he was momentarily speechless by the look.

"Always," he said, kissing her forehead softly, "got you flowers to start off our 'proper' date right…although you in this dress makes me want to skip dinner and reacquaint myself with your bed."

"Nope," she smirked, kissing his nose lightly, "I was promised a gourmet meal so pay up Dunham. It took me a long time to get this pretty."

He snorted in disbelief, "Doubt it did love, you know you're gorgeous just when you roll outta bed."

Josie rolled her eyes and stood on her tip toes to kiss him, "Whatever you say Dunham, lemme just grab my shoes and we can go." She walked quickly into her room and Pete watched her until she disappeared before glancing around her place.

He smiled to see the familiar mess that was Josie, one of his sweatshirts was thrown casually over the back of the chair and her books were scattered all over the coffee table and couch next to a huge, empty coffee cup. He sighed at the familiarity of it and he looked forward to seeing it at his own place as her clutter tended to make its way over there as well. His face darkened momentarily when he saw the half empty beer that had belonged to Dave.

"What's that evil glare for? Haven't pissed you off already, have I? I've only been home for about 24 hours." He smiled unwillingly when he felt her arms wrap around his waist, poking her head through the crook of his elbow to eye him questioningly.

"Nah love, you never piss me off – you can act like a right brat but that only leads to slight aggravation followed by a round of heated 'arguing' in the bedroom." He wagged his eyebrows at her which caused her to poke his side sharply and stick her tongue out at him, "Aw you know it's true, you're my little princess."

"Fine then, you're my grumpy gus."

"I'm not a grump," he said, trying to keep the gruffness out of his voice, "I was just wonderin' what Dave was doin' 'ere."

She shoved away from him, "Dave is makin' you pout? Jesus babe, those three weeks apart musta done something to your head – he's one of your best mates, remember?"

He pulled her close, "I know he is but you're my best girl and I like to have you all to myself."

"Exactly, I'm yours you idiot now shut up and love me please," she pressed a kiss to his chest before pulling on his tie to bring his face close to hers, kissing him deeply. Her arms wrapped around his neck, trying to pull him as close to her as possible, _he looks damn good in a suit_, she thought.

Pete pulled away reluctantly, "I wish I could say fuck the dinner reservation but they took my bloody credit card number."

Josie felt breathless and lightheaded as she stared into his clear blue eyes, "Now why'd you do somethin' stupid like that? I'd much rather you finish what you started this morning."

Her eyes glinted suggestively and Pete let out a groan, "Fuck woman, you'll be the death of me, ya know that?"

"That's my plan," she grinned mischievously at him as she leaned away, intertwining their hands, "but if we must go eat, I suppose I can be persuaded to suffer through a meal with you."

"Suffer? Hm, I don't think so love – I'm the best date you've ever had and the last – so get used to it." He grinned down at her cockily and she responded by shoving him away playfully though her heart fluttered at his words – forever with Pete was something she could get used to.

"Whatever you say Dunham, now enough of your yammer I'd like my proper date now." She pulled her heels on, raising her to just about even with his shoulders before wrapping a long, wool coat around her and stepping into his arms.

Pete pulled her into his side, kissing her forehead softly as they walked out the door, "I love you Joze, welcome home."

"Love you too baby, now enough dilly dallying, I'm hungry." He smiled and held her tightly to him, leading them downstairs.

* * *

Dave sat staring blankly at the TV, barely watching the football game that was playing. Terry set a full pint in front of him and he took a long gulp, wiping a stray dribble of beer off his chin. The stool next to him scraped loudly and he glanced over to see Matt sitting next to him.

"Hey bruv, 'ow are we?"

Matt nodded his head in his direction, "Hey Dave."

"What can I get ya?" Terry asked Matt, slightly gruffly.

"Eh, Carlsberg please." Terry moved away from the two men to grab Matt's drink as Dave turned back to the TV. They sat in silence for a few minutes until Dave heard Matt clear his throat loudly and he felt his gaze on his face.

"What's up Yank?"

"Not too much Dave, how was your day?" Dave rolled his eyes at the proper chat and turned to see Matt staring at him blankly.

"Eh, fine mate. Great actually." Dave smiled and he stared off into space as he thought back over the day with Josie. Out of the corner of his eye he caught Matt staring at him, a slight frown on his face.

"Great, huh? What'd you do?" Dave rolled his eyes, _what's with the third degree_, he thought. It felt more like an interrogation than an actual conversation.

"Anything you'd like to ask me mate? Seems we're dancing with your hand on my ass and I'd prefer if you'd make a move."

Matt shrugged and smiled slightly, "Just asking how you're doing is all. I had a good day wanderin' round town, saw some sights – some really interesting sights and I just thought I'd ask if you did anything fun."

"Erm, you're a strange one ya know that?" Dave stared at Matt in confusion, "I actually hung out with Joze today for a bit till Pete picked her up for a date."

Matt looked surprised at Dave's response, "Oh. Well that's nice. You good friends with her?"

"Yeah," he hesitated slightly, "I like to think so. We all are." Matt again stared back at him with a blank look that made Dave start to feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Nice, she seems like a really sweet girl. And she seems to really love Pete."

Dave unconsciously cringed, "She certainly does. Pete's a lucky bloke. A very lucky bloke indeed." He trailed off slightly and Matt stared at him again, this was getting weird. He swiveled around on his barstool, leaning back to take in the bar. Seeing no one in particular that he wanted to spend time with, he shoved off his seat.

"Alright mate, I'll be seein' you." He slapped Matt on his back, drained his pint and walked across the room and out the door.

He walked quickly back to his flat, replaying the conversation with Matt in his mind. He certainly was a strange bloke, must be a Yankee thing, Josie was always a bit off too but in an endearing way. Unlike Josie, Matt left a lingering suspicious feeling in him that he didn't like. Maybe there was some truth in Bovver's words about outsiders being dangerous. Shaking these thoughts from his head he noticed he'd reached his apartment and decided to let it all play out.

Matt would either fuck them all in the end or it'd all turn out to be ok – he could only hope for the latter.

* * *

**Reviews are always appreciated. And as much as I love love love my faithful reviewers, any new ones would be delightful :)**


	16. A Few Suprises

**Longest chappie yet! & I really did enjoy writing this so I really hope you enjoy reading it. **

**As always thank you to my reviewers, I can never thank you enough :)**

* * *

Pete reached out blindly, pulling Josie close to him and burying his nose in her hair taking in the sweet scent of apples, "Wake up love, you gotta get to school." He kissed her head softly as he heard her mumble incoherently and he smiled slightly at the noise.

"But I don't wanna go to school," she whined softly, "I wanna stay here alllll day with you." She rolled over in his arms to face him and he closed the space between them easily, tilting her chin up carefully to kiss her softly.

He pulled away from her reluctantly, "I'm all for that Joze but yer meeting with your professor right? We get to find out if I get you for a few more years or if I have to follow you back to bloody Boston."

She smiled up at him, her eyes still closed, "Don't worry – you think I'd ever be able to leave you?"

"You think I'd actually let you go?" the smile on her face deepened and he felt his heart thud painfully. He found for the first time ever he wanted her up and out of his bed because this time it meant finding out if she got into the PhD program and would be staying in England for a few more years.

She kissed him again before finally opening her eyes and hugging him tight, "I should go, big day ahead of us. And _you_ need to finish up your Christmas shopping; it's less than a week away babe."

Pete rolled his eyes at her, she had to have been Santa's little helper in a previous life that's how into the holidays she was. She noticed the look in his eyes, "Don't even start with me Dunham. I love Christmas and if you ruin it for me I'll injure you." She wagged a scolding finger at him as he smirked back and as she climbed out of bed he fought the urge to follow her into the shower.

As he heard the shower start he began to think back on how he'd mistakenly thought his feelings for her would eventually taper off. Or that she would stop having the ability to knock the very breath out of him with one look but he'd never been so wrong in his life. The longer they were together, the deeper he fell and the more convinced he was that she had stolen half of his soul that day he'd knocked into her at the museum.

This weekend would be one to remember as he'd finally be meeting her family. Josie had no idea that her dad and brothers would be landing in England in about an hour to surprise her at the Abbey this afternoon. Her oldest brother Eamon had called him a week or so ago to get his help for the surprise and Pete shuddered at the memory of the conversation,

"_Ello?" Pete answered gruffly, recognizing the number only as an international one._

"_Pete Dunham?" The accent that greeted him caused Pete to immediately think of Josie's and he replied cautiously._

"_This is him, 'hos this?" _

"_Eamon Murphy. I believe you're dating my baby sister." Pete felt his mouth go dry at the stern voice and his mind immediately recalled the picture of the four huge men that made up Josie's family. They appeared to be at least as tall as he was and at least two of them were broader than he._

"_Erm, yes Sir, I am." A loud laugh met his words and Pete cringed slightly._

"_Sir? Fuck, you do have it bad for our little Josie Jo don't you?" _

_Pete didn't know if that was meant to be a rhetorical question or not so he paused slightly before replying, "Yeah…I do." _

_Silence greeted him and he felt his heart pounding, _what was this about? _He thought, _please don't let Josie's dad be sick again – I couldn't bear it if she left me_. He knew how selfish that thought was but he couldn't help it, his happiness was inextricably intertwined with her very being._

"_Right then, well I need your help Dunham. I take it you're aware of Josie's freakish obsession with Christmas since I doubt she's ever waited until December to start playing Christmas music?" _

_Peter grimaced slightly, he'd heard _All I Want for Christmas by Mariah Carey_ more times than he could count especially since it was her ringtone, "Yeah, I've noticed. She's been playin' them since the middle of October." _

"_Sounds about right," Eamon chuckled lightly, "Well this is meant to be her first Christmas away from us and we'd prefer that not be the case. We want to surprise her for the holidays but we'll need your help."_

"_Anything you need," Pete immediately promised. He'd do anything to make Josie have a great Christmas. _

"_Great we're plannin' on flying in on the 20__th__, if you wouldn't mind giving us directions to this Abbey place she works at we'd like to surprise her there."_

"_I'll do ya one better – I'll pick you lot up from the airport if you just give me yer flight information. I'll make sure Joze is workin' that day too so she'd probably get there early afternoon. Her shifts usually start at 5ish but I'm sure I can get Terry to put her on earlier." _

_There was a pause on the other line as Pete heard papers rustling slightly, "Thank you Dunham, Josie raves about you but she has a bad habit of seeing the best in everyone. It's a pleasant surprise to find she seems to actually be right for once. What's your email? I'll send our flight details to you that way." _

_Pete felt his face heat slightly as he replied,"WestHamTilIDie at yahoo dot com."_

_Eamon gave a sharp laugh, "She said you were crazy about soccer…" _

"_Yeah well, I grew up with it." He trailed off awkwardly; an uncomfortable silence filled the line for a few seconds as he listened to the typing in the background._

"_Right well, I emailed the info to you and we'll be seein' you soon. And Dunham?" he said roughly. _

"_Yeah?" Pete replied, unsure of the sudden change in Eamon's tone._

"_Our trip's also about meeting you. Josie doesn't do serious relationships and I can't say we're all that thrilled that you seem to have stolen her from us…or her studies. She's wanted that degree for years. Keep that in mind, yeah?" _

_Pete swallowed hard before finding his voice again, "Eh, yeah…I will. I'll be seein' you then." _

_The click that immediately followed his words clearly signaled the end of the conversation and Pete felt his stomach flip. He'd been looking forward to the holidays with Josie as it meant no school or work to interrupt endless hours together but now he wasn't quite so sure that's how it would be._

Pete came out of his reminiscent state just as Josie exited the shower and he followed her with his eyes as she walked about the room, dressed only in a towel as she quickly got ready for the day. He watched a drop of water roll from her soaking hair down her body and he fought the urge to reach out and rip the towel off her body. As he watched and thought about her more his stomach clenched at the thought of the coming days, if Josie's family didn't like him…well, he didn't want to think about that.

She thought the world of her brothers and dad and their opinions meant everything to her. There were countless times he'd heard her calling to ask for help on making the most trivial of decisions. He smirked slightly as he thought about how less frequent those calls to them had become and how much more they went to him. He couldn't help but be competitive when it came to her, even if it was with her family.

He leaned back, propping himself up against the bed-frame and continued to watch her rather than think about what lay in the immediate future. After what felt like only a minute or two but was in fact about fifteen Josie stood in front of him, bundled up for the day and he grinned up at her as she spoke.

"What're you doin' today?" she sat next to him on the bed, rubbing his arm softly.

Pete's eyes widened slightly as he tried to think up something to tell her, he was absolute shit at lying to her, "Erm, I was, uh, plannin' on…shopping early then hitting the Abbey."

Her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion and he tried to keep his face innocent, "Hmm, you're up to something Dunham. You've been actin' jumpy the past few days and all those anonymous phone calls you've been gettin'…you haven't got yourself another bird on the side have you?"

The look of fear that quickly crossed her face made Pete feel terrible, "Fuck Joze, never," he grabbed her hand and pulled her to him, "I only see you." He whispered softly to her and she smiled back slightly.

"Sorry…" she said sheepishly, "I just get nervous sometimes, ya know? I see the way girls on the street and in the Abbey and in stores and in restaurants – everywhere I guess – eye you up and down. I just worry you'll get sick of me."

The vulnerability that shined her eyes scared him. He was always playing the part of the jealous boyfriend, forever worried that she'd get tired of being with him or that he'd scare her off with how strongly he felt for her. He'd never imagined she would ever think he'd leave her, "Josie, you're my life. I'll leave you when I die," he said.

And he meant it.

She managed to smile at him and leaned in to kiss him sweetly, "I like the sound of that…though not so much the dying – I'd prefer we live forever, yeah?"

"As long as it's with you, sure. You're my best and _only_ girl, got it?" He held her face in his hands, looking deeply into her eyes until she looked convinced. He kissed her once more before finally releasing her, "Call with good news only, k babe?"

A nervous look danced across her face, "Ok Pete, I swear it'll be good news. I have a good feeling about today."

He smiled up at her praying with all his might that she'd be calling with good news.

* * *

Pete stood in the arrival hall of Gatwick, impatiently waiting for Josie's family to get off the plane. He tried to calm his nerves as he paced back and forth, eyeing the gate often. He recognized them the instant they walked out.

They were hard to miss.

The four men walked towards him all over six feet tall with pale skin and freckles; brown hair and brown eyes, just like Josie. The older man had laugh lines etched all over his face and a slight paunch but the younger men were all huge and fit and could possibly kill him should they decide to, though not that he wouldn't be able to give them a good run for their money.

He gulped down the lump in his throat as he eyed them up and down. He'd never been scared of another man before, not even when they were coming at him with intent to injure, but the sight of these men that held his fate in their hands scared the shit out of him.

Trying to shake off any bad thoughts he strode towards them, "Dr. Livingston, I presume?" Pete stared in confusion at the shortest of the tall men standing in front of him and if the brown eyes hadn't been mirror images of Josie's he would have thought he'd been mistaken that they were her relatives.

"Ah Jesus Rone, do you have to be sucha freak?" the older man slapped Ronan in the back of the head before turning his gaze to Pete, "Pete Dunham? Eamon Sr." He said, holding out his hand for a shake and Pete took it, feeling the strong grip nearly crush his hand.

Josie's brothers all shook his hand as they introduced themselves, repeating the same death grip that her father had.

_This is gonna be a long fuckin' week_, he thought as the final brother released his hand, _they're gonna try to kill me_.

"Alright then, my cars just out 'ere," Pete said and they all reached down to grab their bags, following him out the door quickly. His pulse raced as the three brothers all joked about, shoving each other playfully while the older Murphy tried to get control of them. There were practically bouncing up and down in anticipation of surprising Josie and Pete couldn't help but laugh at the similarities between her and her family. By the time he corralled them all into his car they were as hard to contain as puppies around bacon.

As the ride into town began it also became apparent her brothers had spent the plane ride drinking and they were ready for more but at their dad's insistence they detoured to the hotel where they were staying at to drop off their bags and change their clothes, "So Josie'll be at work at 3 you said?"

"Yeah and it's just about two," Pete answered Josie's dad, "She was meetin' with her professor this morning for a few hours to find out if she got into the PhD program." He outwardly cringed at the thought of what the outcome may be and the fact that she hadn't yet heard from her worried him when he caught Josie's dad looking at him strangely. He turned away quickly to avoid eye contact and at that moment his phone rang shrilly,

_I just want you for my own_

_More than you could ever know_

_Make my wish come true_

_All I want for Christmas is you_

The four men burst out laughing and Pete flushed red, "Guess we know who that is," Colin said, giving a loud bark of laughter as Pete fumbled to answer Josie's call. He'd forgotten she'd set his phone so that when she called that song rang out.

"Shh…she's got no clue you lot are here," he shushed them and they all immediately fell silent, not wanting to ruin the surprise this late in the game, "Hi Joze, how'd it –"

The question was immediately cut off by a loud squeal and he nearly dropped the phone at the noise, "I'm in! I'm in! I'm in! Three more years, yessss!"

Pete felt his face break into a huge grin and he felt a huge weight fall from his shoulders, "Babe, that's fuckin', erm I mean, that's fantastic!" He couldn't stop the mad grin that had broken onto his face and he sensed her brothers and dad straining to hear her words.

"Erm love, listen, I'll see you at the Abbey in a bit, yeah? I'm sorta in the middle of somethin'," he bit back another smile at the surprise that would be waiting for her.

"Aw what is it? Can't you come meet me? We have time for lunch and a quick 'dessert' before I have to work." Pete groaned at the thought of afternoon sex with Josie and as the thoughts came into his mind he became extremely aware of the fact that her brothers and father were in the car with him.

"Eh, rain check Joze?" he heard a slight disappointed groan and he continued quickly, knowing he'd ditch her family in a second if she was allowed to beg, "I'm just finishin' Christmas shoppin' for your present and it needs my full attention."

_Hah, that'll pique her interest_, he thought.

And he was right as another squeal came through the phone, "Oo, ok well I don't want to distract you. I love you baby, see you in a bit."

His voice softened as he replied, "I love you too, see you." As he snapped his phone shut he noticed the awkward silence of the car at his final words.

"Soo…" her dad began uncomfortably, "Josie got into the program I take it?"

"Yeah, she did." Again, the ridiculous grin broke onto his face and her dad gave him a knowing look. Thankfully Pete spotted the sign for the hotel that the Murphys were staying at and he spied a spot across the street that he pulled into quickly, "Ere we are. I'll wait here."

The men jumped out of the car and as they disappeared from sight Pete dropped his head to the steering wheel. It was quite a strain dealing with them on his own and he couldn't wait to see Josie. His blood thundered through his veins at the thought of having Josie for himself for another few years. It ran like a mantra through his mind, _three more years, three more years, three more years_.

He got lost in the thought of Josie and unbidden came a picture of her in a white dress, walking down an aisle on the arm of her dad. _Fuck, that'd be amazing_, he thought. He felt all of his nerves light on fire at the thought of having her be his forever. They'd only been together for eight months and before her the thought of marriage had never crossed his mind but this sudden vision of her in a wedding gown just felt right – they were meant to be. He was sure of fuck all in this world except for that fact.

The car doors swung open and he jumped in surprise as her three brothers crammed into the back seat of his car as her dad joined him in the front seat, "Right Dunham, let's go. We're soberin' up and we can't wait to see Joze," Ronan shouted from the back.

Eamon Sr. turned to glare at him before he slapped him on the back, "Alright, Petey boy, ferry us away to our Josie," he gave him a grin that he happily returned as he sped toward the Abbey.

888

Josie walked hurriedly toward the Abbey, anxious to see Pete. _Three more years_, she happily sang in her head as she practically broke into a run as she saw the Abbey's sign swaying in the wind. She shoved through the door and searched the room frantically for Pete.

She saw Dave, Ike, Swill, Matt, Daddy, Ronan, Eamon, Colin, Terry, the whores, but no Pete. Where could Pete be? She continued to look around frantically for him until something finally clicked, "_Daddy!!_" She ran across the room and was immediately enveloped in a huge bear hug from her father and her brothers surrounded her.

"What're you guys doin' here?!" she looked at the four of them in astonishment, "and in the Abbey no less." She continued to look at them in confusion and her dad wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to his chest.

"Well Joze, it's quite a guy you've got here. Pete picked us up at the airport and brought us here as your Christmas present." He grinned down at her, kissing her temple lightly and squeezing her shoulder.

"When he said he was shopping I didn't realize you'd be my gifts," the boys all looked down at her happily and she grinned back at them, "Where is Pete then? Yeah haven't killed him yet, have ya?"

"Right 'ere love," she heard his voice from behind her and she wrenched herself quickly from her dad's grasp and threw herself into Pete's arms. He hugged her tightly, burying a hand in her hair and Josie longed to kiss him but thought better of it with her brothers and dad watching the two of them closely.

"Three more years Pete," she whispered into his ear so that only he could hear her, kissing his neck softly.

Finally he placed her back on the ground and she twirled around, staying locked in the crook of his arm, "Aw I don't even get to do the introductions, no fair." She pouted up at Pete and he rolled his eyes slightly at her petulant look.

"Now Joze, no pouting," her dad tapped her nose slightly, "Now get behind that bar and show these Brits what a Boston girl can do. I taught 'er everything she knows." He said proudly to the boys that were gathered around causing Josie to sigh slightly in exasperation.

"Daddy," she whined, "I've been here for months and serving these boys for just as long."

Her dad leaned over and pinched her cheeks, "I know Josie Jo but I can't help but brag."

She swatted his hands away and walked quickly behind the bar. The boys, both the GSE along with her brothers, quickly settled around her. Pete stayed close to her dad for the day, making sure he was comfortable and his glass was always full. Josie smiled at the sight of it, Pete never stopped surprising her and she couldn't help but fall more in love with him every day. The very fact that he'd been able to handle her brothers alone for a few hours was amazing in and of itself.

A few hours passed swiftly as she worked and caught up with her family. The boys were all welcoming to them and she noticed Dave chatting with Ronan while Swill tried to get Colin out of his shell, ordering more and more shots for the group. Col was always the quietest one but even he couldn't resist the charms of the GSE.

Finally, she noticed her dad's eyelids beginning to droop and Ronan getting louder and more agitated as he tended to be a volatile drunk, "Hey Murphys, come 'ere." She yelled at them and they immediately came towards her, "I'm thinkin' its time you get some sleep, yeah? You've been up for over 24 hours and Daddy, you're still not all well. An all night drinking binge is most certainly not part of your rehab."

"Joze is right," Eamon said, always the leader, "We'll catch a cab back to the hotel."

Pete, who was lingering just off to the side as they talked cut in, "Nah, I'll take you lot back if you want."

Josie smiled up at him, placing a soft hand on his forearm "I don't think so mister, you have to bring me home. Plus you've done more than enough for one day, I'm surprised the boys didn't kidnap and torture to find out your intentions first."

"Huh, why didn't we think of that when we 'ad the chance?" Ronan slurred causing Josie to glare at him.

Josie's dad slapped Pete's back hard, "Ronan –shut it. And Dunham – we're fine ina cab, you've got to look out for my little girl; she's the only one we've got."

Pete tried to smile back at his words and Josie noticed her dad had left his hand on his neck and was currently gripping it tightly, "Jesus Daddy, let 'im go – you'll break his neck with a grip like that."

At her words and glare her dad immediately dropped his hand, giving her a sheepish smile, "Sorry Joze, force of habit."

"Choking my boyfriend is a force of habit?" she said while gritting her teeth slightly, her dad was unbelievable when it came to meeting boys that were interested in her.

"Alright," Colin cut in swiftly, "I think we've done enough damage to Josie's relationship for the first day." Leaning over the bar he pecked a quick kiss on her cheek, "We'll see you tomorrow bright and early for sightseeing!"

Josie let out a groan but gave a smile and a kiss to each of her brothers as they paraded out of the Abbey. She heard Pete let out a sigh of relief at the sight of the four men getting into a cab, causing her to grin at him, he'd been amazing tonight and she didn't blame him for feeling relieved at the evening being over.

"Sorry Pete, they're a bit of a handful, I can't believe you were alone with them for a few hours. You're an absolute saint."

Pete smiled down at her, reaching across the bar to take her hand in his, "Nah love, I knew it'd make you happy so no big deal. What's a little choking and death grips and death threats if it means I get to see that smile?"

"You're too good to me, ya know that?" she couldn't help but grin up at his blue eyes sparkling down at her.

"So sightseeing tomorrow eh?" he questioned lightly, taking a seat on the stool across from her, taking her hand and drawing circles on her palm.

Josie grimaced slightly at the thought, "Yup, we're gonna see where Chuchill took a tit."

She was quite proud of her use of rhyming slang until Pete gave a loud laugh, "Love, it's a tom not a tit for shit."

She rolled her eyes, "Oh whatever, stupid rhyming slang. Last time I try to speak in words you'll understand. You wanna come with us?"

"Sightseeing?" Pete's eyebrows hit his hairline at the thought of the day with her entire family causing Josie to smirk, "With you and the four horsemen of the apocalypse? I'll pass on that love. Dinner though?"

She smacked his arm lightly but a grin broke on her face nonetheless, "I know they're a bit much but they're all I've got. But dinner: yes. Daddy actually mentioned all of us going out to dinner tomorrow. I think he also invited Matt, Shannon and Steve after he found out that you're related – he's big on family. You might as well call your mum at this point."

The look of horror on Pete's face caused Josie's stomach to flip, apparently he didn't feel like that was something they were ready for, "Oook, never mind Pete, it doesn't look like something you're interested in. Forget I brought it up, I'll just let them know you already had plans."

She turned to leave but stopped when he leaned across the bar and took her face in his hands, forcing her to meet his gaze, "No. We'll all have dinner together tomorrow night. I'd just been lookin' forward to a little alone time with ya but I should've known you'd have family stuff going on. It'll be one big family dinner where hopefully no one gets murdered."

She leaned forward and kissed his lips sweetly, "So it's not too soon for the parent meeting the parent thing?"

"Nope," he said quickly then leaned in for another kiss before he reluctantly pulled away, "Now grab yer stuff, I have strict orders to escort you home."

Josie left Pete, hurrying into the backroom to grab her purse. She felt slightly unnerved by Pete's initial reaction at the dinner offer but she supposed he was right, she'd been looking forward to Christmas break as it meant all of her free time could revolve around Pete. Not like she wasn't happy with her family here, it was just going to be hard to juggle between the two. She'd just started realizing that Pete now ranked at least on par with her family, if not higher than them in importance.

Coming out she saw him waiting patiently at the end of the bar for her, "So you didn't turn tail as soon as my back was turned? You really must be a keeper then," she joked lightly though she was honestly relieved he hadn't left.

"Not goin' anywhere love, now let's get you home. We've got some celebrating to do. I've got to prove to you that three years 'ere is more than worth your time." The glint in Pete's eye caused Josie's body to heat immediately and she grabbed his hand without another word to drag him out of the Abbey and back to her flat.

* * *

"Ronan I cannot believe you, how am I ever going to show my face at the museum if anyone finds out about today?!" Pete heard Josie's shrieking tone even before she entered the Abbey after a day of sightseeing with her family.

"Uh _oh_ , sounds like the day didn't go quite so well," Pete glanced up to see Terry had heard Josie as well and the crinkle around his eyes showed he was looking forward to hearing whatever ridiculous story befell Josie and her family. The girl was a liability even on the most boring of days.

"Aw Joze, he was just lookin' out for you," another voice responded and Pete thought it was her dad who was trying to defend Ronan and he cringed at what he knew was coming.

Right on cue, Josie's voice reached a whole other octave bordering on a level that only dogs could hear, "Don't you defend him! He got us kicked out of the Tower of London. I was scolded by a gin man for fucksake."

As he heard her words Pete nearly choked on his pint. He looked up to see Josie and her family entering the pub, she was storming furiously towards where he was seated and the fire in her eyes made him happy he wasn't on the receiving end of her temper. Reaching him she hugged him tightly and he rubbed her back soothingly, placing a kiss on the crown of her head, "Long day?"

"Ugh," she groaned, "Don't even get me started! I was kicked out of the Tower of London and banned for a year. Do you have any idea how mortifying that was?"

Pete tried to bite back the smile that was threatening and was saved as Josie's attention was diverted by Ronan once again, "I was saving you," her brother whined.

Josie opened her mouth to begin another tirade but Pete clamped his hand over her mouth stopping the flow of words, "I'm sure whatever happened was in your best interest. Now what happened to get you kicked out?"

"Well, ya know how Josie's scared of birds?" Pete's mouth dropped open at Ronan's words. Apparently she'd managed to hide this particular phobia from him as her face turned crimson red and she buried her head into his side, shaking it softly.

He patted her hair slightly, "Birds, Joze?" and he eyed Ronan questioningly.

Ronan happily began explaining, "When Josie was ten we all went to Disney World for a fun family trip. At one point Josie used her hard earned allowance to buy a hot dog that cost about 10 bucks. After her purchase she stood in the midst of the outdoor food court, hot dog in one hand as she juggled her bag, trying to put her wallet away. A seagull used that opportunity to swoop down and snatch the dog right outta her hand." Pete tried hard, for Josie's sake, not to laugh as Ronan continued, "Funniest shit I've ever seen. She freaked out started flapping her arms frantically and screaming while running around in circles as the seagull ripped the hotdog out of her hand. Been scareda birds ever since."

Josie smacked his arm hard, "You would be too if you were dive bombed by an angry seagull intent on murder!" Her face was still bright red as she turned to face Pete, "I _tried_ to keep it a secret cause it's so embarrassing but now you know." She glared at Ronan and the matching smirks on her brothers' and dad's faces.

Colin cut in, "Now back to today. Those stupid crows they keep at the Tower were attacking Joze. They kept followin' her around. And Ronan here," he said gesturing to him, "took it upon himself to defend her after he'd enjoyed his liquid lunch which always bolsters him up."

Josie's eyes flashed furiously as she loudly finished the story for him, "By defend, he means that Ronan began kicking every crow that came near us. Apparently, they frown upon that. The beefy men kicked us out but first they publically scolded us, relishing in making us examples for other tourists. The massive group of tourists that were surrounding us were all shaking their heads in disdain. It was humiliating."

Pete finally couldn't hold it in anymore, "You were scolded by the Beefeaters while surrounded by a tour group?" he burst out laughing at the look on her face, joined by her family, Terry and the few members of the GSE that were present as well.

"Laugh it up asshole," she said smacking Pete's chest and glaring at the laughing faces of her friends and family before turning back to him, "you of all people are supposed to make me feel better, not laugh at my plight."

Pete pulled her close to him, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and keeping her locked against his chest, "Aw love, I'da done the same thing if I knew you was scared of birds. He's a valiant white knight, your Ronan is."

Ronan grinned happily at Pete, surreptitiously ignoring the glare that Josie was throwing in his direction, "Thanks guy. The brat could never accept how amazin' I am."

Pete held her even tighter at his words, resisting the urge to hit him. Ronan may be her brother but he still didn't like the sound of someone calling her a brat, "You're an ass Ronan. Your punishment for today is no more drinks until dinner. Get back to the hotel and we'll pick you up when I think you've learned your lesson," Josie ordered, pointing towards the exit.

The furious look on her face caused Ronan to drop his head in shame and he immediately turned to slowly walk out of the bar, "And I'll kill you if you go into some other pub on the way back to the hotel. And believe me, I'll find out about it if you do."

"Aw, Joze – that's a bit harsh," Ronan whined but immediately stopped when she began to storm towards him, held back slightly by Pete clamping his arms around her.

"Lemme go Pete, I'd like to kill him," she struggled against him but he only held her tighter, laughing as Ronan took the opportunity to flee out of the bar.

"Now Josie Jo do you think that was necessary? We all woulda kicked the crows but Ronan was closest," her dad said in a soothing manner.

"Ugh you idiots are impossible," she groaned and Pete rubbed her arm slightly, willing her to calm down, "Daddy you should head out too. Rest a little before dinner, k?"

"I'm confused as to when you became my mother," her dad replied causing Josie to place her hands on her hips and give a fierce look in his direction, "Alright alright, I get the point. I'll go catch up with Rone. Eight o'clock sharp for dinner, yeah?"

She kissed his cheek lightly, "You got it, see you in a bit."

Pete watched as her dad walked out of the bar and as he disappeared he pulled her to him tightly, kissing her deeply, "HEY, two of us are still here." He vaguely heard the outraged shout from Eamon which he chose to ignore as Josie pulled her body tighter to his.

"Miss me?" she smiled up at him as he finally dropped her down to the floor.

He traced her jaw line lightly with his finger, feeling her shudder under the touch as he leaned in to whisper in her, "Always, you were up and outta bed way too early for my liking."

Her face flushed at the thought as she leaned in closer to him, "I know, as much as I love my family I wish it was just the two of us. Am I terrible that I wish they'd stayed in the States?"

Pete grinned happily at her words, "Nah, I was thinkin' the same thing." He leaned in to kiss her again when he felt something hit the back of his head. He turned to glare as he saw Dave and Swill staring back at him innocently.

"Release my baby sister Dunham, I'd prefer to pretend you haven't defiled her innocence," Eamon shouted loudly and Pete felt his face burn slightly, though it had nothing on the crimson color that now painted Josie's face as she buried her head in his neck.

"Beer for the lady," Terry pushed the pint towards her and she smiled up at him, grateful for the distraction.

The group settled in for a few hours of drinking before they'd be heading out to dinner with the families. Pete kept his arm tightly wrapped around Josie, pointedly ignoring the glares her brothers were throwing in their direction especially when about twenty minutes later she took her regular seat on his lap.

About an hour or so later Pete was leaning back in his chair watching Josie and Eamon play darts against Dave and Swill when he felt someone come up next to him, "Jesus you're a goner."

"Erm…what was that?" he looked up startled to see Colin standing there watching him watch Josie. Colin had been the quietest of the group, barely stringing together more than a few sentences with him.

"You've got it bad for our Josie Jo. The look on your face is slightly pathetic though understandable," he smirked at Pete who chose to remain silent, waiting for him to continue, "I have to say – we were all thinkin' Joze would pick a real dud, especially since you're an Englishman but it's nice to see how crazy you are for her. You seem to take good care of her."

"It's kinda hard not to love her," just as the words left his mouth he watched as she leapt into Swill's arms and he spun her around and around nearly knocking over an old one's pint. He laughed slightly as he watched the older man grin at Josie while simultaneously smacking Swill. He'd really never met a girl like her, "She's funny though, she's never liked all the attention she gets from the boys around here."

It was something that'd always bothered Pete, the way she shied away from everyone preferring to let him have all the attention instead. For some reason Colin looked surprised at his words, "She never told you why?"

Pete raised an eyebrow at him, "There's a reason?"

"Oh there's a reason alright. That reason is our bitch of a mother," the venom in his voice surprised Pete especially from the shyest of her brothers.

"I don't quite follow…I mean, Joze has mentioned how your mum left you all when she was little but nothin' more."

Colin cringed and hesitated, debating whether or not to continue. He seemed to make up his mind when he spoke again, "There's a bit more to it than that. Normally I wouldn't go behind Josie's back but there's stuff you need to know – especially about our mother."

Pete nodded his head, urging him on while leading the two of them away from the loud group and towards the bar, "Lemme get ya a pint while you talk."

Colin nodded his head slightly and once he'd taken a long drink from his beer he began to talk, "Guess I'll start from the beginning – our mother was a stunner. I mean, I've seen pictures and it's a miracle she married our dad though she had nothin' on Joze." The two of them glanced over at Josie who seemed to feel the gaze as she looked up, giving Pete a wink and a smile, "A little attention Dunham, five minutes away from her won't kill ya."

"Sorry," he said waving a hand in Colin's direction, "continue, please."

"Anyways, life was swell – the three of us boys were born and my mother was happy since dad absolutely doted on her and we adored her. She was never meant to have Josie, she only ever wanted three boys but then along came Josie to mess up her plans." Colin clenched his jaw at the memories, cringing as he continued, "We all loved her. And dad – well you see him, he's been wrapped around her little finger since the day she opened those brown eyes. At first, our mother enjoyed the extra attention she got from having a girl. But the older Josie got the more our mother began to resent her. When she turned five I guess that was the final straw. Dad threw her a huge party, got her a pony and everything. Everyone we ever knew came, absolutely showering Joze with attention; she had a little princess crown and everything. But apparently our mother thought she didn't deserve to play second fiddle to her daughter."

Pete followed the story closely, motioning for Colin to continue when he again hesitated, "Go on."

"Well…we woke up the next day late. I remember it clearly: me, Rone and Eamon all came down to see dad sitting in the chair drinkin' a glass of whiskey – mind you it was 9 o'clock in the morning – and Josie was curled up in his lap, petting his hair soothingly. I'll never forget that sight and after we read the note it made it even worse."

Pete felt his mouth go dry, "She left yous through a note?"

"Yeah, coldhearted bitch left a note sayin' that clearly no one needed her if they had their little princess Josephine and that she wasn't going to compete with her anymore. We 'aven't heard from her since," Colin broke his gaze from Pete's, staring at Josie wistfully, "How anyone could resent her is beyond me. Since that day, Josie's been our rock. She takes care of us, makes sure we're all doing ok, going so far as to make sure we eat our veggies when she barely eats em herself. She naturally takes care of people – us, the hockey teams we played for, you, the boys…she loves it."

Pete smiled, "She's a saint – I barely even like the boys and I've known most of them since I was ten."

Colin smirked, smacking his back hard, "That's our Joze. Now anyway, the point of my story – and yes there was a point," he said at the look on Pete's face, "Is that if you hurt her, we'll kill you. Like actually kill and don't think we can't – that girl is our little sister, the only woman who's ever meant anything to us – so mark my words, you'll be happy when we kill you cause it'll be a relief from the pain of the torture."

Pete gulped slightly, noting the very serious tone that Colin spoke in, "You have my word – Josie is my life, I'd rather die than hurt her."

"Good man," he said with another hard hit to his back, "I'd keep yer eye on that one too." Colin nodded his head in the direction of the table that Dave and Matt were seated at, causing Pete to look up at him in confusion.

"Matt? Nah, he's a good guy – practically family."

"Not Matt, I'd watch out for Dave," Colin replied seriously.

Pete almost laughed at the look on Colin's face, "Dave? Why would I have to keep an eye on 'im? He's one of my best mates, been like a brother for years."

"He's got the look," Colin replied cryptically.

"The look?"

"You wouldn't notice cause you haven't stopped lookin' at Josie but he watches her a lot. Seems he might have a bit of a crush on her. All I'm sayin' is that she sees the best in everyone, trusts too quickly and I don't know him from a stranger on the street, I just don't want her in any danger is all. Just keep an eye out is all I'm sayin'."

Pete sat in silence, looking over at Dave and Matt who were casually drinking and watching Swill and Josie fake wrestle, "I guess I've thought of it but Dave wouldn't make a play for Josie…would he?"

The question hung tensely in the air between the two men and just as Pete was going to say something else, Josie interrupted, slinging her arms around both Colin and Pete's shoulders, "You boys look wayyyy too serious for a bar, ready for din soon?"

She leaned heavily into Pete's side and he wrapped his arm around her tightly, kissing her forehead lightly. His head was still spinning from his talk with Colin but he answered her as casually as he could, "Yeah, it's about time we get goin' love."

"Col, grab Eamon and Matt and we'll head out, kay?" She smiled up at him sweetly and Colin nodded his head, leaving the two of them alone. He took her face in his hands, cupping her chin before leaning in to kiss her, "Mm, what was that for babe?"

"Just cause," he pulled her into a hug, wishing he could talk to her about everything Colin had told him. Keeping things from her killed him and he hated the fact that she might be hurting and worse, that he couldn't fix it even if she told him.

She stared at him knowingly, "Hm, I don't know about you Dunham, but I love ya." She locked her fingers with his, pulling him towards her, "Now let's get through this dinner so we can be alone."

Pete smirked down at her smile, "You hussy, quite a one track mind you've got."

Josie smacked him in the stomach, "Fine – I'll sleep at my place tonight. Enjoy a cold bed."

"I don't think so love," he pulled her towards him, "You know I can't sleep without ya."

She tapped his nose lightly, "Good, just the way I like it. Now lead the way…I have no idea where we're goin' and I can barely walk straight as it is."

Pete laughed down at her, pulling her out of the Abbey and as they walked out he noticed Dave watching the two of them carefully. Maybe there was something to what Colin had said and if Dave thought he could get Josie there'd be hell to pay.

* * *

**Sooo, thoughts? No matter what I hope you enjoyed it.**


	17. Wrong Place, Wrong Time

**So - this has been drivin' me nuts: I realized I made some time errors since in the movie Matt doesn't show up until Aprilish so now it's all a bit messy but hopefully you all can suspend the reality of it since it'd be a disaster to fix. Anyyyyways, on with the story!**

**As always, thank you to the reviewers you seriiiiously make my life :)**

* * *

Josie allowed Pete to drag her down the street, her family trailing behind the two of them. She was trying desperately to keep calm however they were already ten minutes late and were still at least five minutes away from the restaurant where Pete's family was waiting.

_Fuck_, she thought, _this is so not a good impression for the families meeting_. Pete held her hand tighter and began to walk even faster, glancing at his watch frequently as they walked. Josie knew how Shannon and Steve would react to them being so late. Finally they reached the restaurant and Pete shoved through the door, moving quickly towards the snooty looking man standing behind a podium.

"Yeah," he said gruffly to the maître d', "We're with the Dunham party."

The man looked down his nose at Pete, glancing around him to glare at Josie and her family, "You're late…lucky half of your party showed early so we didn't give your table away." He said condescendingly, "This way, _sir_," and Josie fought to keep a blush off her face. This wasn't going well and they hadn't even sat down yet. Pete gritted his teeth angrily at the man causing her to rub his arm soothingly, hoping he wouldn't respond.

Thankfully he kept his mouth shut and as they reached the table Josie caught Pete's mom's eye who was grinning at the two of them causing both her and Pete to visibly relaxed, "Josie! So great to see you dear, come're you."

His mum pulled her into a hug as she reached her, "Mrs. Dunham, I am so _so_ sorry we're late." Josie said sincerely.

"Oh stop, I told you to call me Grace and," she continued giving a slight glare at Pete, "I'm sure it was my son's fault."

"Aw mum, don't start – it actually was Josie and her family's fault," Josie's jaw dropped open and smacked him in the stomach as he smirked back in reply.

"Way to throw me under the bus," she mumbled to him, "Shannon, Steve – I'm so sorry to have kept you waiting." Steve surprised her by grinning while giving a casual wave whereas Shannon gave a tight-lipped smile in her direction that clearly indicated it was not ok. _Not good, not good, not good_, Josie chanted in her head, feeling her stomach fill with nervous butterflies. She so wanted her family to get along with Pete's.

Introductions were finally made and they took their seats quickly. Josie had her dad sit next to Pete's mum and then smartly decided to place Colin on one side of Shannon as he tended to be the politest of the bunch and might be able to sooth her ruffled feathers.

After the initial awkwardness that comes with these types of meetings, things relaxed and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Josie smiled to see Ronan chatting Steve's ear off and Shannon was actually giggling slightly in response to whatever Colin was saying while her dad and Grace were laughing loudly over what sounded like embarrassing Josie and/or Pete stories.

Josie set her fork down, feeling stuff from the meal and leaned into Pete's side as he placed a kiss on her cheek, "Things seem to be going well, dontcha think?"

"Seems like it. Even Shan is lettin' her stuck up-ness drop," Pete nodded in the direction of Shannon and Colin, earning a smack from Josie.

"Oh stop Pete, she's not that bad," Josie replied and Pete's eyebrows shot up at her remark.

"Love," he moved her wine glass away from her theatrically, "Just 'ow much 'ave you had? Do you not remember the first meeting with Shannon?"

Josie rolled her eyes dramatically, grabbing for her drink, "You're sucha prick. To be fair, I missed the first dinner so she sorta had a right to be uppity that night." She cringed internally at the first disastrous meeting with Shannon and Steve. There'd been no problems with Steve; however Shannon seemed to have made it her personal mission to make Josie feel as terrible as possible about missing the first meal.

"You're too forgiving babe," Pete said, pulling her tighter to his side, "But it is part of your charm."

She grinned up at him, giving him a quick peck on the lips, "I'll be right back love – little girl's room calls."

Josie stood up quickly, Pete giving her hand a tight squeeze that she returned softly. _God I love him_, she thought as she grinned stupidly to herself. She looked down the table catching her dad's eye, giving him a smile and a quick wink. She glanced around the table, noticing that Shannon had stood to go to the bathroom as well. _Oh fantastic, a trip to the girls room together_.

"Hey Joze, how's it goin'?" Josie eyed Shannon's friendliness suspiciously but then noted the red spots on her cheeks and realized that everyone had drunk about a bottle of wine each with dinner.

"Great," Josie replied truthfully, "Seems like everyone's gettin' along fine, food was fantastic too."

"Absolutely. And your brother Colin is great. Very polite."

Josie smirked to herself at how well the plan of seating Col next to Shannon was, "He's a great guy. Always been a little quiet – Ronan and Eamon always tend to outshine him. Well…more like out loud-him."

Shannon gave a slight laugh, leading the way down the short hallway to the restroom, "You and Pete are cute together."

Josie smiled in response since they'd just reached the bathroom and entered separate stalls. Josie chose to remain silent while using the toilet. She'd always wondered why girls liked going to the bathroom together and she preferred to do her business in private rather than chitchat away.

As she exited the stall she saw Shannon staring at her own reflection in the mirror, "You guys seem to be going strong. What's it been? Eight months now?"

Josie grinned at the thought of Pete, "Just about nine now."

"I'm impressed, in all the years I've been with Steve I've never seen Pete with a girl longer than a month," Shannon said as she eyed Josie slyly.

"Yeah well…" Josie trailed off casually, feeling her insides twist as they always did when she thought of Pete with other girls crossed her mind, "But we're doing great, he makes me happy." Josie confessed cheesily. Although having a chat about her relationship with Shannon wasn't exactly on her to do list for the night.

"It'll be perfect once you give him the ultimatum," Shannon said sweetly.

Josie tilted her head in confusion at her, "Ultimatum?"

"Yes Josie, an ultimatum," Shannon replied as though speaking to a toddler, "I mean sooner or later you'll have to make him choose between you and the GSE. You can't keep seeing him if he's the leader of those thugs."

Josie saw red at her words, gritting her teeth in an attempt to hold her temper, "I'm not gonna make him choose. I love him."

"I'm not saying you don't love him but think about it: he's out runnin' around with those losers all night, getting into God knows what kind of trouble while you're sitting at home worrying. Plus there are always other girls around that he might take a liking to. You've got to keep a tight leash on him."

Josie seethed, feeling the grip on her temper becoming threadlike. She jabbed an angry finger in Shannon's direction, "Those boys aren't thugs or losers. They're his best friends and they're good guys. Not only that – Pete would _never_ cheat on me and he isn't a dog that needs to be kept close by or he'll get into trouble. He is an adult man and a trustworthy one at that."

Shannon looked taken aback at her reply, "Josie – don't be an idiot. I know you think like that now and you may love him _now_ but a man involved in that mess can't provide for a family. If you expect to have any type of future with him, then you'll have to make him decide. You'll get tired of washing the blood out of his clothes, bandaging his cuts and icing his bruises, mark my words."

"I highly doubt that…and I certainly don't think you are one to judge. You don't know him like I do," Josie whirled around to exit the bathroom, "And I would never make him choose. I'm not going to change the man I love like he's some fuckin' puppet. I'm not _you_."

The last thing she saw was Shannon's outraged face as she stormed out of the bathroom._ The absolute _nerve_ of that fuckin' woman to think I have to change Pete to make him fit as a boyfriend_, she thought viciously as she marched back to her seat, _as though we won't have a future if he stays in the GSE – stupid woman was no idea how much Pete loves me…or how much I love him_.

As their table came into sight she tried to hide the anger coursing through her veins as she walked back to her seat. She could feel Pete's eyes on her and she tried to force a casual look on her face but when she looked up and locked eyes with him she saw his eyes widen in surprise and a confused look appear on his face. He knew her far too well and could read her like a book.

She plopped into her seat as Pete immediately pulled her towards him, kissing her forehead tenderly, "You alright love? You was in the toilet forever," Pete said, rubbing her back soothingly.

Josie tried to avoid his piercing gaze that would see right through her, "I'm fine, just…" her voice trailed off as she spotted Shannon returning from the toilet whose usually pale face was flushed red with anger.

Pete followed her gaze, noticing when Josie's eyes narrowed slightly and his grip tightened on her, "Oi, what's this about? Shan didn't start something with you did she?"

Josie cringed, knowing it was impossible for her to lie to Pete. He saw through the tiniest of white lies so she knew it was pointless to try to lie about this, "I'll tell you after dinner, I don't want you gettin' all riled up in the midst of it." Pete stared into her eyes questioningly and she placed a hand on his leg before leaning in to whisper quietly to him as she noticed Eamon leaning in an attempt to eavesdrop, "Babe – please just let it go for now. I pinky swear I'll tell you when we get back," She leaned closer to kiss his neck softly, grinning into his skin when she heard him exhale loudly at the sensation.

He opened his mouth to continue just as the waitress set a large slice of cheesecake down in front of her. Josie squealed slightly in delight and was thrilled for the distraction, "Yesss, I was worried I missed dessert ordering."

"Like I woulda let you miss out on that. I ordered yer favorite," Pete proclaimed loudly earning slight smiles from her brothers and dad who all knew of her obsession for cheesecake, "Who loves you?" he whispered to her.

"You do, Petey Dunham," she smiled up at him, trying to erase the anger she'd felt during the 'chat' with Shannon while pointedly ignoring the glare from her that was thrown in her direction. Pete loved her and that was all that mattered to her, he was perfect for her just the way he was.

* * *

Two hours later Josie and Pete were hurrying down the icy streets back to Josie's place. They'd just said goodbye to her family after they'd been forced to have a nightcap in the hotel bar. The hour away from Shannon spent with her family and Pete had nearly erased the miserable feeling that had settled over her after the argument in to the bathroom.

Pete squeezed her hand tight as she shivered slightly causing him to pull her into his side, rubbing his hands up and down on her arms to warm her up, "Fuck, it's absolutely freezin' tonight," she murmured with a slight chatter.

"Mm, well we're almost there babe then I'll have plenty of time to warm you up," he replied suggestively earning a roll of Josie's eyes in his direction.

"And you said I had a one track mind?" she said, arching an eyebrow in his direction.

"Not my fault, you just look so sexy."

His words caused Josie to break into a fit of giggles – she was definitely feeling the affect of the wine and the more time between dinner and the present, the happier she became, "Sexy? I'm bundled up in a huge winter coat, wearing goofy gloves and a hat and I think my eyelashes are frozen together. You really need to get your eyesight checked."

Pete twirled her around, lifting her in the air and holding her tight, "Nah love, I've got 20/20 vision and these eyes say yer perfect." He kissed her nose lightly and Josie felt her stomach flip pleasantly.

"Yer gonna make me swoon, ya know that? How come no one snatched you up before I met you?" Josie questioned seriously, her brown eyes locked with his blue ones. She always felt like she could get lost in his stare and now was no exception.

"Cause they weren't you," he whispered before kissing her deeply, bending her backwards and holding onto her tight. After a minute or so he set her upright and watched with a smirk while she tried to catch her breath.

"You're sucha smooth talker, you are," she said, poking his stomach lightly.

He cupped her face softly, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Gospel of Paul love, yer my life now. I couldn't imagine another girl making me feel like this in a million years."

Josie's heart pounded in her chest at his words, "Fuck, I love you Pete – promise you'll never leave?"

Holding his pinky up to her in their usual form of promises, Pete locked fingers with her tightly, "Now why would you think I'd ever do somethin' so stupid as to leave the best thing in my life?"

Josie blushed slightly, going over the conversation with Shannon in her head again, "Dunno, I worry is all."

"Well don't," he replied bluntly, tapping her nose as he spoke, "Like I said on our first date you're mine, I'm yours. That's all I know and that's enough. Now – you gonna tell me what 'appened with you and Shan to cause all this worry to sprout in that pretty little head of yours."

Josie sighed heavily, locking her hand in his and dragging him forward, "I knew I couldn't trick you into forgetting about that."

"Well I saw your face and I just hate seein' you so upset," Pete pulled her to a stop, forcing her to face him, "Joze, what happened?"

Josie heaved a heavy sigh, seeing as he wouldn't be stopped in his pursuit of the truth, "Let's get upstairs, I'll explain everything." Pete finally nodded, allowing her to lead the two of them towards her flat. The rest of the short walk was done in silence, broken only by their steps echoing around them.

* * *

"She said _what_ to you?" Pete yelled angrily causing Josie to shy away from him. They were seated on her couch, the TV flashing silently in the background and she had just finished telling him about her encounter with Shannon in the restroom, "The fuckin' nerve of that woman to get involved in our relationship. Like she knows anything about me…or you for that matter." He mumbled in a disgruntled voice.

Pete leapt to his feet, pacing back and forth in front of Josie while she tried to soothe his temper, "I know babe, but it's not going to happen. I'd never make you choose, I know what the boys mean to you."

He stopped mid-pace, staring at Josie in shock that she thought he was upset she might make him choose. He dropped to the floor in front of her, taking her face in his hands and forcing her to meet his eyes, "Joze, stop. I'm not upset because I think you'll take her advice. I'm upset that Shannon thinks you have to do that for us to be together because that's bullshit."

Ignoring his words she continued, "I promise I'll never make you choose, I don't want you to think I'm the kind of girl that is out to change her boyfriend."

"I know what kind of girl you are," Pete said seriously wondering why she thought she had to convince him of who she was.

"Promise me one thing?"

"Anything," he said honestly.

"Promise you'll always come back?" Josie asked her eyes suddenly glistening as Pete stared at her bewildered at the sight of the moisture.

"Of course I will, where would I go?" he asked stupidly, rubbing her shoulders softly in an attempt to relax her.

To his shock tears rolled down her face, "You don't get it Pete – it's not safe. I hear the talk in the Abbey. How men are always gunning specifically for you, I see the cuts and bruises and I clean up your blood. Sometimes I have nightmares that you'll end up dead and leave me forever. I just need you to promise me you'll always come back," her lower lip trembled as she finished talking and he leaned forward to kiss her softly.

Pulling away but keeping his face just inches from hers he said, "I'll always come back to you. Pinky swear," he took her finger and linked it with his then leaned in to kiss her while keeping them locked together, "Now stop yer cryin', pinky promises are binding ya know?"

"You're a twat, ya know?" Josie replied with a watery smiled and Pete pulled her to him in a tight hug.

His mind was reeling from the day's events and this last part didn't give him any relief. All he wanted was for it to be the two of them and for the rest of the world to leave them alone. He had no idea how worried Josie had been about his involvement with the GSE. But of course she'd try to keep it from him, she knew how important it was to him and she also knew he'd be upset if she was worried. It was such a Josie thing to do that it made his heart hurt at the thought of upsetting her.

"Come on love, let's get you to bed – it's been a long day," without letting her respond Pete swept her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style into her room before dropping her onto the bed. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms over her head while Pete watched her in fascination as her shirt rode up slightly and he caught sight of a small sliver of skin. He licked his lips at the sight, continuing to stare until she noticed his gaze.

"It's a one-track mind you've got," she said lightly, standing up to get ready for bed.

But Pete had other plans and pounced on her, pushing her back onto the bed, "Now 'ow do you know what I was thinkin', smarty pants? They teachin' you mind reading at that fancy school of yours?"

Pete smirked in satisfaction as he felt her heart start to race and her breath came in short gasps at his close proximity to her, "I can tell because of your eyes."

"My eyes?" he pulled away from her in slight surprise, groaning when she took the opportunity to nibble lightly on his neck.

"They always get just a shade darker when you look at me like that," she licked his neck and blew on the spot lightly, "then you usually lick your lips like I'm a piece of meat followed by a smirk."

He leaned down to catch her lips running his tongue along her lips and she eagerly allowed him access, moaning into his kiss sweetly. Breathless, he pulled away from her slightly, "You, my little Yank, are doin' far too much thinkin' and talkin' for my liking," he smiled as she grinned up at him and he leaned down to kiss her again, effectively ending all talking for the night.

* * *

The rest of their holidays passed in a blur, Josie's family left two days after Christmas giving her and Pete almost a whole week of uninterrupted time most of which was spent one of three places: the Abbey, the couch or one of their bedrooms. All too soon their break was over and January 4th saw Josie back at the museum full-time until her second semester classes started at the end of the month.

"So how was your New Year's Em?" Josie and Emma were wandering around the nearly empty main exhibition floor of the Imperial War museum catching up on their holidays as they pretended to work.

"Fantastic, we went to this nightclub Aura right off Piccadilly. It was bloody amazin' Joze, you and Pete shoulda bought a ticket and come with us." Emma had just started dating some rich bloke that she'd met at the holiday party and had tried convincing Josie to tag along for a ritzy New Years, "What'd you two end up doin' anyway?"

Josie gave a soft sight, smiling at the memory of her New Year's, "Pete and I just went to dinner then back to my place for the night," Josie felt her face flush and barely noticed Emma rolling her eyes.

"Will you ever get tired of fucking that man?" Emma asked, eyes sparkling with humor as Josie's mouth dropped open, "Actually, he _is_ practically a gift from the gods so I don't blame you."

Josie gave an indignant snort then hit Emma's arm lightly, "Hey! That's my boyfriend you're talkin' about. Keep those baby blues to yerself, you've got your own eye candy to slobber over."

The two of them continued to wander around, occasionally stopping to talk with the few tourists that were there that day. Not for the first time in that long day Josie wondered why they were even open. She and Emma stood casually near one of the tanks when she noticed an older man watching her closely from across the room causing a shiver to run down her spine.

He motioned in Josie's direction and Emma shoved her forward, "Eh, looks like someone's got a question. He's all yours love, my head is still killin' me from New Years."

Josie gave a slight glare in Emma's direction but nonetheless moved towards the man, "Can I help you sir?" she said softly as she approached him.

"Ere love, could you tell me what this tank is? I've been comin' 'ere for years and I never knew," he pointed to the tank he was planted in front of.

"This one here is a British Infantry Tank Mark II nicknamed Matilda. It was used in France and the Western Desert in the early years of the Second World War." Josie answered quickly; it was one of the more common questions she fielded when she was working downstairs and the man nodded slightly in response.

He was silent for a few moments so she turned to walk away but was stopped by his voice, "My son always loved this tank," he stated roughly causing Josie to stumble slightly in confusion.

"Oh," Josie said softly, "Well if he's here I'd love to tell him more about it," she looked around the near empty room not realizing her mistake until she looked up and caught the stony glare he was giving her.

"He's dead," he answered bluntly.

Josie gasped and felt her face burn, "_OH_, I am so sorry," she exclaimed, knowing how insincere it sounded.

The man eyed her cruelly causing her to feel extremely uncomfortable but seemed to decide against whatever was on his mind, "Yer fine, couldn'ta known. I'm Tommy," he held his hand out to her which Josie took reluctantly. She was surprised to find how gently he shook her hand, holding on a few seconds longer than was appropriate.

"Josephine," she replied formally and Tommy turned back to stare thoughtfully at the tank.

"So yer a Yank, eh?" Josie rolled her eyes slightly as it was a question she was asked far too often.

"What gave it away?" she replied sarcastically.

"Accent," Tommy stated seriously, "You live around 'ere?" he questioned casually.

"Erm, West Ham actually," Josie started looking around the floor for Emma or for anyone else that might be able to rescue her.

His eyes lit up at this and Josie almost smiled until she caught a hint of something that again caused a shiver to run down her spine, "Really? I know a few of the gents 'round those parts."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, just from goin' to football matches all these years," she noticed how he clenched his fists tightly and she again took another step away from him.

"My boyfriend is a football nut," Josie said casually, hoping this man would stop talking to her at the mention of a boyfriend.

No such luck.

"Boyfriend, eh? Maybe I know 'im, whas his name?" Tommy stared at her blankly, waiting for an answer.

Josie frantically scanned the floor again, hoping Emma would appear to rescue her once she noticed her discomfort but she was nowhere to be seen, "Um, his names Pete," she replied quietly, still praying for any type of distraction that would get her out of this conversation.

"Pete?" Tommy said with a manic grin, "I know a Pete from West Ham…you can't mean Dunham?"

Josie took another step back, wondering if she should lie, but then he might genuinely be friends, "Yeah, Dunham."

At her words he rubbed his hands together in excitement, "You tell both Dunhams Tommy Hatcher says hello, will you do that for me love?" He took a step forward, gripping her shoulder tightly, "Make sure you say hi to Steve too…not just Pete, got that?"

Josie nodded silently, feeling his grip grow tighter on her shoulder while he stared at her with a grin on his face, "Joze! There you are – we've been lookin' for you."

Tommy dropped his arm to his side as Emma came towards them and Josie sighed in relief, "Well Josephine, it was a pleasure to chat. Now you make sure to tell Pete and Stevie I say hello," Josie gave a slight nod and with that he turned on his heel striding away from the two girls.

"What was that about? He know Pete?" Emma questioned lightly, looping her arm through Josie's.

"Guess so…that was weird though. He kinda freaked me out…" Josie shuddered slightly remembering the cold eyes that had stared back at her. She glanced at her watch before leading Emma upstairs towards their desks, _finally days almost done_, she thought with relief.

"Yeah, he def had a touch of crazy in his eyes," Emma nodded in agreement, dragging her quickly to the stairs, "Whatever love, days done. Forget it; I'm sure it was nothin'."

Josie shook her head slightly, trying to shake the awful feeling away and the vision of the stony glare out of her mind. Emma chattered away meaninglessly allowing Josie to tune her out and become lost in her own thoughts. This continued while they walked towards the tube where they would part for the day.

Emma gave Josie a peck on the cheek, "Tomorrow I expect you to actually listen to me, kay? Forgot about the crazy creep, I'll see you laters. Give Petey's bum a pinch for me, will ya?"

Josie finally came out of her daze at that, "Oi, stay away from him or I'll get my mitts into Richie Rich."

Emma gave a hearty laugh, pulling her into a hug before dancing away from her to her own train. Josie smiled slightly, heaving a sigh as she walked towards her own train. She moved quickly, anxious to see Pete, to have him reassure her she was overreacting and say that Tommy was just an old friend. Yup, old friend – that was all it would be and there'd be nothing to worry about. Finally convincing herself of this she picked up her pace even more, wanting nothing more than to be locked in Pete's embrace.

* * *

Josie hurried into the Abbey, scanning the room in hopes of finding Pete. He was supposed to be meeting her there at five but by the looks of it, no Pete just yet. The train ride home did nothing to calm her frayed nerves and the fact that Pete wasn't there only served to make her more anxious. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she walked towards the bar to wait for him. She caught Terry's eye and she saw him immediately start pouring her a drink – _the man is a saint_, she thought with a grin.

Just as she neared the bar she felt her phone vibrate in her bag, fumbling around she finally found it and answered quickly, "Where are youuu?" she whined into the phone.

Pete chuckled in response, "Sorry baby, I just finished with Paddy. I'll be there in about ten minutes – I expect a cold pint waitin' for me."

"You'll get piss warm beer and like it for making me wait. You know how impatient I am," she said with a smile on her face at the snort that greeted her.

"Well stop chattin' my ear off and I'll be there faster," Pete said with a smile.

"Ugh fine, hurry hurry or someone might drink your pint before you get here," she said happily as she reached the bar and sat down next to Dave who she hadn't noticed until just now.

"Tell 'oever it is to keep their mitts off it," Pete said gruffly into the phone, grabbing his jacket as he went to leave the school, "I'll be there before you know it. I'll even run if it means someone's out to steal my beer. I Love you, Joze."

Josie smiled at his words, the usual butterflies bouncing in her stomach whenever she heard him say them, "Love you too."

As she ended the call she slumped down onto the stool next to Dave, eagerly pulling her drink towards her. After she had downed about half of it she glanced up to see Terry and Dave eyeing her suspiciously. Wiping her mouth sloppily she looked back and forth between the two, "What?"

"Bad day, love?" Terry raised an eyebrow at her.

"More or less, bad ending to the day I guess more than anything else."

Dave leaned in closer to her, "What 'appened Joze? You were just at the museum yeah?"

Josie shrugged her shoulders slightly, looking up at Terry wondering if she should bring it up with the two of them or wait for Pete. Being the curious person that she was she chose the first option, "I ran into someone that claimed to know both Pete and Steve. He just…" grasping for the right words she stuttered slightly, "He just, made me nervous is all."

"Someone that knew the Dunham boys? That's nothin' new love, they're pretty well known in the football world," Terry responded to her first, "Who was he, freckles?"

Josie rolled her eyes, "I wish you'd stop calling me that – half this country is covered in freckles."

"Ah, but none so cute as you. Now what was the name of the geezer you ran into?" Terry asked again.

"Tommy Hatcher," she said as she glanced down to take another gulp of her beer. At their silence she looked up, startled to see their concerned faces.

"He didn't hurt you, did he love?" Dave asked, placing a concerned hand on her forearm.

Josie tilted her head to the side in confusion, biting on her lip in thought, "Um, no…I met him in the museum. Why do you think he'd hurt me? I'm a girl."

Dave snorted humorlessly, "Tommy Hatcher doesn't care who he hurts."

Josie laughed at the serious looks on their faces, "But who hurts girls?"

Just as the words left her mouth a strong set of arms wrapped around her causing her to jump slightly, "Who hurts girls?" Pete mirrored her question, nuzzling his cold face into her neck, breathing in deeply and reveling in the warmth of her soft skin.

Josie noticed the nervous looks on both Dave and Terry's faces but she ignored them as she turned to face Pete, pulling him down to meet to her lips. Pete held her tightly, pulling her up and off the stool so that she was flush against his body. He groaned into her mouth but broke away due to the smack from Dave on his back.

Pete glared in his direction, "Can I help you?"

"Josie was just tellin' us about someone she ran into at the museum today and it's a story yer gonna want to 'ear mate," Dave answered him seriously. Pete glanced from him to Terry who was wearing the same grim stare.

"What 'appened, Joze?" Pete said as he turned away from the two men to face Josie, taking her hand in his.

"I ran into some guy at the museum who said he knew you: Tommy Hatcher," the hand that was holding hers squeezed tight.

Pete felt his mouth go dry, "Hatcher? At the museum? Josie – _what_ happened? He didn't hurt you did he?"

Josie got the distinct feeling she was missing out on something as all three men were now staring at her intently, waiting for her to explain, "Alright, who is this guy?"

"No no no, your story first. And you need to tell it now and in full detail," Pete said, moving his hands up to grip her arms. Sighing slightly Josie finally recounted the story to the three men watching carefully as Pete turned from calm to livid in the span of the two minute talk.

"You see 'im again, you ignore 'im, got that? He's dangerous and I don't want you near him," Pete stared into her eyes intently, waiting for her to agree.

"Waiiit a second, don't I at least get an explanation as to why he's so dangerous so I have the fear of God in me to run and hide?" Josie tried to joke lightly but Pete stared back at her seriously, wishing she understood how serious this was. She tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for an answer.

Pete didn't get the chance to reply because before he could Terry cut in quickly, "Josie – _please_ just listen to Pete," he plead with her, "He's lookin' out for what's best for you. And what's best for you is to stay away from that man. He's had it in for the Dunham's for years. And it's well known 'round other Firms that Pete's got himself a permanent bird. Just stop bein' a stubborn Yank and listen to Pete. No one wants to see you get hurt just because you thought Pete was bein' his usual overprotective self and decided to ignore him. He mean's well, just…just listen to

'im alright?"

Josie's mouth dropped open in shock, Terry had never said raised his voice to her until now and it seemed that was what finally made the severity of the situation sink in. She nodded her head silently and Pete let out a breath he didn't even know he was holding in. He gathered her in his arms, burying his face in her hair.

Just the idea of Hatcher anywhere near Josie scared the absolute shit out of him. The sudden vision of Josie beaten and battered came to his mind with a grinning Tommy Hatcher looking down at her as she bled. He squeezed tighter, praying with all his might he could keep her safe.

"Oi, I'm not goin' anywhere so stop trying to squeeze the life out of me please," Pete smiled slightly, just barely relaxing his grip on her as he pressed a firm kiss on her forehead.

"I know you think I'm hidin' somethin' from you but I'm just tryin' to keep you separate from the GSE as much as possible. You're mine, member?" he whispered into her ear.

Josie pressed a light kiss to his neck, "Course I am. And I know you try to keep me from the dark side but sometimes we don't always get what we want. The GSE isn't exactly tryin' to stay away from me, ya know?"

He grinned down at her, smoothing her hair away from her face, "Stubborn brat is what you are. Now forget the afternoon ever 'appened, k?"

"You got it baby. Now, you may buy me a delicious pub meal to make me forget allll about it," she smiled back at him cheekily.

"Anythin' for you," Pete said, squeezing her again. Another flash of Josie bleeding crossed his mind that he pushed from his head quickly, _I'll die before that happens_, he swore to himself. He watched her as she chatted away with Terry and Dave, the day's events already behind her. He pored over every each of her face, memorizing the details and praying that the meeting with Hatcher would be a one off.

Unfortunately for Pete and Josie, it wouldn't be.

* * *

**Pllllease tell me what you think, I just hope you're liking it!**


	18. Broken

**I'll keep this quick with just a quick thank you to the reviewers: Niffer01, CanYouReachTheStars, Twilighterheart, CullensThePackAndMeLove, Steffy-Michelle, Little Miss Bovver & Gladishiva. **

**As always you lot keep me writing & I do hope you enjoy :)**

* * *

Bovver awoke in confusion, eyes snapping open to take in the unfamiliar bedroom he was currently in. Rolling over cautiously he saw the slag he'd picked up at the Abbey last night and he cringed at the sight, _how fucked was I last night?_ he thought grimly as he quietly moved out from under the covers and dressed silently. Tossing a slight glare in the direction of the bed he slipped out of the bedroom and taking in the dinginess of the flat he moved across the small living room at lightning speed to escape before the nameless girl woke up.

As he hurried down the stairs and threw open the front door he breathed in the cold February air, thrilled that he'd escaped without detection. He reached into his pocket to pull out a cigarette, lighting it quickly and inhaling a thick drag of smoke. Zipping up his jacket and flipping his collar up to block his neck from the cold wind before beginning to stroll down the street towards his own place.

He walked for a few minutes, smoking casually and keeping his head down against the wind. Just as he rounded a corner he looked up to see a familiar pair walking about ten yards in front of him. _Thas interesting_, he thought cruelly as he saw Josie link arms with Dave before dragging him into the local coffee shop. Bovver narrowed his eyes at the sight, wondering what the two of them were doing together.

The sight of her caused anger to bubble in his stomach. The appearance of the Yank bird had caused Pete to become a pathetic shell of what he used to be and the second Yank didn't help things. But just what were Josie and Dave doing together? He'd just reached the window of the shop they'd entered and he peered into the dingy window, taking in the sight of Josie laughing on the arm of Dave.

He smirked cruelly, wondering if Pete knew just what his lady was up to. Bovver quickly walked away from the window before he could be spotted, moving with a slight spring in his step due to the discovery. Pete put that girl on a pedestal yet here she was sneakin' about with one of his best mates.

Bovver pulled his phone out of his pocket, quickly dialing Pete's number, "Aye aye, what's up bruv?" Pete answered cheerily and Bovver tried not to smile at the familiarity of it. As frustrated as he'd been with him in the past nine or so months he was still his best mate.

"Owya Dunham? Ready for United away?"

On the other end of the line Pete gave a fanatic grin, "Absolutely, so what's up mate? Figured you'd still be asleep after taming that thing you went 'ome with last night."

Bovver cringed, "Oi, fuck off. What are you up to?"

"Work bruv," Pete sighed, "It's Monday mornin', the boys are out on fifteen minute break. So what's up? Not often I get a Monday mornin' call from ya anymore."

Bovver pulled a face, wondering how to broach the subject and chose his usual bluntness, "Just saw your lady is all."

He was met with silence and he waited awkwardly for Pete to respond. When he did Pete's voice was laced with confusion and a hint of anger, "Erm, ok Bov…so what? Josie's out with Dave gettin' coffee then he's takin' 'er to the museum. I don't want her wanderin' alone now that Tommy knows where she works. Swill's even pickin' her up later," Bovver bit back a disgusted sigh, remembering the run in a month ago with Hatcher that had Pete all out of sorts. Pete continued, "What'd you think was goin' on?"

"Nothin' mate, nothin' at all." Bovver said swiftly, trying to keep the anger from his voice.

He heard a few shouts from the other end up the phone, "Oi, I gotta go – the boys are back from break. See you at mine later?"

"Yeah, laters." Bovver disconnected the phone quickly, anger still running through his veins. He took another cigarette out of his pocket, puffing furiously as he strode down the street. He'd forgotten that Pete had pretty much had one of the boys stationed as a bodyguard at all times around Josie. The man was losing his shit because of this bird.

It had come as no surprise to everyone but Pete that word was spreading that he had a permanent bird and her name had started coming up at meets. This only served to rile Pete up even further causing more damage to other men and the other Firms had taken notice.

Maybe what Josie needed was to be scared witless…Bovver knew she had only agreed to avoid another meeting with Tommy after Terry intervened. She really had no idea what the GSE was about. If there was only some way to scare the shit out of Josie about who Pete really was that may get rid of her permanently. Then Pete would realize life was better without her and everything would go back to normal. _I mean – it's not like he's gonna marry the Yank_, Bovver thought, laughing internally about the very idea of Pete proposing to Josie.

Bovver grinned to himself, forming a plan in his mind to get rid of Josie once and for all. After her, he could deal with the other Yank. No outsider was going to screw up this firm.

* * *

Josie stood just inside the museum, tapping her foot impatiently and glancing at her watch. According to her "orders" from her boyfriend, she was meant to wait until Swill picked her up and drove her home where she would be met by Ike who would escort her to the library before he returned to Pete's where they had a weekly FIFA tournament. Pete would then pick her up when she called to say she was done studying and he would escort her home. There wasn't a second of her day that she got to spend alone anymore after that stupid run in a month ago.

_Overreact much, Pete?_ She thought bitterly in her head. Glancing again at her watch noting that Swill was a half hour late which was screwing up her carefully laid study plans. Becoming more and more impatient as she thought of the pile of homework she had to do, Josie finally decided she had enough.

Shoving open the door she strode down the steps, hurrying towards the tube station. If she had just left at her normal time it would have still been light out, but now it was nearly dark. Pulling her coat around her tighter, she burrowed her face into the collar blowing hot air out to warm her freezing face up.

As she rounded the corner to the road that the tube stop was on she ran smack dab into a large man, "Oh _Jesus_," she hissed out, holding a hand over her heart to calm the frantic beating, "I'm so sorry – you scared the hell out of me."

She looked up to see she'd run into a burly man over six feet tall who was currently staring down at her, "No worries love, where you off to in sucha hurry?"

He gave her a grin that made her distinctly wary since she was currently standing on a near deserted street with this hulking man, "Erm, my train – which if you'll excuse me I really don't want to miss."

Josie moved to step around him and he sidestepped with her, blocking her way. She moved to go the other way and he again blocked her way, "Why don't you want to chat with me Yank?"

She felt her face burn red and her heart pounded anxiously at the situation_, shit – maybeee Pete didn't overreact_, she thought stupidly, "Rather rude Josie to not have a chat with me, rude indeed."

"Ho- how do you know my name?" she stuttered slightly and put her hand in her pocket, gripping the mace that her dad had smuggled in for her and given to her at Christmas. She wasn't sure it was quite legal but at this point in time she didn't quite care as the man was now advancing on her menacingly, pinning her against the wall of the building they were standing near.

Her eyes scanned back and forth frantically in the hopes that she'd see someone who might save her. The huge man looked down at her with an evil grin, "Oh we all know about you now – every Firm in the country knows about little Miss Josie who stole Dunham's heart. Innit that just the sweetest: head of the GSE in love with a Yank."

Her eyes widened in horror that this strange man seemed to know her, deciding she'd had enough she quickly pulled the mace from her pocket, spraying a quick shot directly in his eyes and hearing him drop to the ground.

She sprinted blindly towards the tube station not chancing to look back to see if he was still laid out. She continued to run, straining her ears to hear if she was being followed. She heard nothing but continued to run anyways and just as she thundered down the steps she heard the train pulling in. _Fuck, if I miss this and he comes after me I am legit trapped down here_, she thought as she picked up her pace. As she rounded the hallway corner she sighed in slight relief to see the train sitting waiting. She ran quickly, throwing herself into the train car just as the doors snapped shut.

Josie heaved a huge sigh of relief and glanced up in time to see the stranger coming into view just as the train started to move. Anger finally hit her at the whole ridiculous encounter and she stuck her tongue out at the man, giving a slight wave of her hand that seemed to incense him further as he began shaking his fist angrily in her direction.

_Probably not the smartest thing to do_, she thought as she plopped into a free seat, _but these assholes are screwing with the wrong girl_. She leaned her head back against the window, letting the rocking motion of the train relax her frantic nerves.

As the train pulled into Waterloo her eyes snapped open and she grabbed for her phone, realizing she'd never heard from Swill. And if that man knew her, he definitely knew Swill. She frantically dialed his number, worried he'd had a run in of his own.

Swill answered half way through the first ring, "Fuck Josie – where are you? I am freaking out, if I lose you Pete's gonna 'ave my head and my bollocks and -"

"Swill! _Stop_!" she cut in before he could continue to naming parts of him that Pete would destroy, "I'm on the train…" she quickly recounted what had happened and as she finished she heard Swill suck a breath in quickly.

"Jesus Joze, I'm so sorry I was late. I ran into Bovver who just would not shut up for some reason then he was buyin' me pints and thas never 'appened so I just got distracted," Swill sighed guiltily into the phone. He was seated in his car outside the museum and he ran a hand through his hair frantically. _Pete will murder me without a doubt_, he thought in horror, _and if anything had happened to her I would've never been able to forgive myself_, "I am so sorry Josie."

"Oh stop, you're being ridiculous," Swill could practically hear the eye roll in her voice, "The fact that I need a protective guard is ridiculous in and of itself. You lot have lives that I'm interrupting."

"Where are you now? I'll come get you."

Josie shook her head at this, even though she knew he couldn't see it, "We're just pullin' into Embankment now and I don't want to wait around."

"I figured as much. You headin' 'ome or to meet Pete?" Swill cringed at the thought of what Pete would say when he heard what happened to her.

Josie paused for a second as the train doors lurched open and she leapt lightly over the gap, "Nah, you boys have your Monday tourney to deal with. Ike is still meeting me at mine. I'm a little shook up but I've still got a ton of shit to do. I'll talk to Pete when he picks me up tonight."

"Josie," Swill replied warningly, "You know he's gonna ask if I got you and I can't lie to 'im."

Blowing out a frustrated puff of air she snapped back, "Fine. I'll call him. You lot are all so petrified of Pete that you're in a panic and are now forced to play babysitter to his girlfriend. You're freaking out becau -"

"Josie -" he cut in swiftly, "Don't be an idiot, we aren't being forced. Yer like our little sister and we want to make sure yer safe. We'd all be devastated if somethin' 'appened to you."

"Ugh," she groaned, "You lot are impossible to be mad at when you're so good to me. I guess I'll just – " she was cut off by a beep, signaling an incoming call. She was still storming toward her next train and she pulled the phone away from her ear to check who it was, "Shit – Pete's callin'. I'm still headin' towards my other train but I'll deal with him. Just go to his place and act normal."

"Joze, I'm a terrible liar," Swill whined into the phone.

She rolled her eyes again, "Well, _learn_ – gotta go." She pressed the call button to answer Pete, "Hi you, what's up?"

"Where have you been?" Pete questioned quickly, hearing her breath coming in rapid spurts caused him to start rambling immediately, "I've been panicking. I can't get a hold of Swill and I'm - " In her mind she could see him frantically pacing back and forth in his flat and she cut him off before he could really get on a roll.

"Pete – relax _please_. Swill was late so I caught the train…" she trailed off awkwardly, wondering if he could even see through her over the phone.

"Yer a bloody awful liar even over the phone, ya know that?" his voice was laced with concern behind his light comment. Ever since her run in with Hatcher a month ago Pete had become even more overprotective than he'd been before.

A soft smile played on her lips at how well he knew her, "Ugh – you're impossible. Why can't you be one of those boyfriends who is all into football and forgets about their girlfriend's very existence during the season?"

"Josie don't you understand..."

"Yes Pete," she cut in, "I understand how worried you are about me and I get that you think I need a bodyguard everywhere I go but somethings gotta give. I can't live like this."

Pete sucked in a sharp breath at her words, "Joze baby, what 'appened?"

Josie's eyes suddenly filled with tears. It seemed the shock was wearing off and the magnitude of what had happened was finally hitting her. She stopped short in the crowded hall of the tube station, rubbing her temple achingly feeling the sudden urge to see him _now_, "Come meet me?"

"Course," he answered quickly, happy she'd finally stopped being stubborn, "Where are you?"

"Just getting on the train at Embankment – meet me half way?" she bit her lip nervously, knowing how he was going to react once she told him what happened. _There goes studying and video games for our night_, she thought ruefully.

"Absolutely. You want Indian? We can meet at Aldgate, we'll eat, you'll talk then I'll take you to the library."

Josie started walking again, moving towards the nearest District line train as quickly as she could. She suddenly had the strongest need to be trapped in Pete's arms and nowhere near any other person, "I'll meet you in 15."

"On the way," Pete had already thrown his coat on and was out the door the second she'd agreed, "I love you, k?"

"I know," she grinned in response, "Love you too…I'll see you in a bit."

* * *

Pete paced back and forth outside the train stop he was meeting Josie as he peered over the heads of the surrounding crowd. Finally he spotted the familiar mass of curls and he shoved through the throng of people to reach her. He had no idea what happened but he was sure it wasn't good. He finally reached her and dragged her into his arms in a tight hug.

"Omphf," she groaned into his chest, "You're squeezing the life outta me." Pete grinned into her hair, kissing her head before finally placing her back on the ground. He took her face in his hands, kissing her softly and deliberately, reveling in the taste.

He took her hand in his and began leading her down the street, "Talk now?" he questioned lightly, anxious to find out what had happened. He felt her stiffen slightly at his words and he dragged her into his side, forcing her to stop.

He stared deeply into her eyes, concerned with how worried she looked as she replied, "Gimme a minute ok? Let's get some food first then I promise I'll tell you everything."

Pete stared at her face, taking in the painfully familiar gesture as she bit on her lip anxiously, "Fine, food it is Joze. Come on you." He pulled her hand gently as he dragged her towards the first restaurant he saw, hurrying her along so he could hear whatever had happened.

No sooner had she taken a bite of her curry than Pete had grasped her hand tightly, "Alright Josie, time to spill – now."

She blew out a puff of hair, forcing her bangs out of her eyes and stared back at him gravely. She quickly told him what had happened, carefully watching his face as she waited for him to lose it. She was surprised to see he stared back blankly until the very end. _Weird_, she thought, _normally I can read him like a book but with this – nothing_.

"Pete?" she reached across the table to take his hand in hers, "Say something." She pled softly, rubbing her thumb across his knuckles.

To her shock he ripped his hand out of her grasp, "Yer right – somethings gotta give," he said stonily.

She raised an eyebrow in surprise at his tone, "Um, I don't quite follow."

Pete sighed, dropping his head into his hands, rubbing them over his blonde hair in anguish, "You don't deserve this. You shouldn't have to be in this world anymore."

Josie felt her heart drop to her stomach, wondering where he was going with this, "Just what are you saying, Pete. Spell it out for me."

"I…" he trailed off slightly before continuing sternly, "I don't think we should be together anymore." As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted them as he watched Josie's face go from shock to pain to anger within a span of fifteen seconds.

Her eyes narrowed into slits, "What do you mean 'you don't think we should be together anymore'?" she said angrily, putting air quotes around the sentence.

"Josie it's not that I don't love you…" he started to explain, trying to make her see that it was for her own good. He couldn't – he wouldn't – keep putting her in danger like this.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?" she whispered venomously causing Pete to physically jump back from her anger, "You're going to sit here and end things with me but claim that 'it's not that you don't love me'? Who are you fooling? If you don't want to be with me anymore, fine. Don't make up some bullshit that you 'just want to keep me safe' so you can't be with me anymore, I'm not stupid." Josie felt her eyes fill with tears and her breath was coming in gasps as she stared into Pete's shocked face.

"Stop Joze, you know I love you I just…I just wouldn't be able to survive if I knew you got hurt because of me. I know you think you can handle me in the GSE but I can't deal with people targeting you." Pete said, trying to make her understand that it was for her own good. The look of fury and pain on her face almost made him say fuck it, they could make it through anything if they were together. But the nightmare of Josie battered and bleeding once again came to mind and forced him to continue, "As long as I'm the head of this firm you'll be in danger."

Josie slumped back in her chair, biting hard on the inside of her cheek to stop the tears that were threatening to pour over, "So that's it – I said I'd never make you choose between me and the GSE but here you are, makin' the choice yourself." A single tear rolled down her cheek and she frantically wiped it away, standing up quickly, "Fine Pete, I can see this is what you want. I won't get between you and the Firm anymore."

Pete stared openmouthed as she threw her jacket on and grabbed her bag before fleeing the table and hurrying from the restaurant. He stared after her retreating form, feeling his stomach churn and his heart clench painfully. He dropped his head into his hands, _if this is to protect her why do I feel like I just ripped my heart out and threw it away?_ he thought bitterly. He threw a few notes down on the table, not even caring if it was way over what the bill would be. He had to get out of here, had to walk, had to think.

_This is what's best for her_, he swore, _I don't care if it kills me, I'll keep 'er safe, even if it means giving her up. _

* * *

Josie sprinted out of the restaurant, feeling her heart in her throat and a distinct feeling of nausea at what had just occurred. Ducking into an alley she emptied her stomach, grimacing in disgust as she wiped at her mouth. _How is this happening?_ she thought, _this is a bad dream – I'll wake up and I'll be cuddled into Pete's side and he'll smirk handsomely and laugh at my ridiculous dream_.

She pinched her forearm hard in an attempt to wake herself up, _ok – not a dream_. Tears poured down her face as she wrapped her coat tightly around her body, trying to keep herself warm. She walked slowly towards the tube station her mind running over the day's course of events. When she woke up this morning trapped against Pete's side she had no idea it would be the last time. At this thought her breath came out ragged, sobs nearly choking her and she vaguely noticed people staring in horror at her.

Her phone trilled in her purse and she ignored it, biting on her cheek to try to stop the tears while she was in public. She'd finally reached the train and joined the rush hour crowd, pointedly avoiding the looks being thrown her way. Her phone rang three more times in the ten minute ride home and as she got off her stop she finally took it out, her heart breaking even more when she realized it wasn't in fact Pete calling to beg forgiveness.

"Hi Swill," she sniffled into the phone, "What's up?"

"Josie? What's goin' on – you ok?" Swill asked in concern. He, Ike and Dave were currently seated in Pete's hallway waiting for him to get back for their Monday tournament when he'd had the great idea to check with Josie as to his whereabouts, "Is Pete with ya? He's late you know."

Josie gave a slight sob causing Swill's eyes to widen in horror, "I dunno where he is. He…he ended things," she managed to whisper out.

Swill nearly laughed at her words, "Ook Joze, 'ow much have you had to drink? Pete'll leave you when pigs fly and cows sing."

Josie gave a watery smile, "I wish that was true. Pete should be home soon, I'm sure you boys'll have a laugh at my expense how the leader of the GSE tricked the poor Yank into thinking he was a stand up bloke," she said bitterly barely acknowledging the horrified gasp that came from Swill.

"Where are you? Are you ok? I'll murder that dumb fuck the second I see 'im," Swill said angrily causing Ike and Dave to stare at him questioningly, "We're comin' over. Fuck Pete."

Josie went to argue that they didn't need to do that but was cut off before she could even start, "No arguments see you at yours," he said with finality as he ended the call.

"What 'appened?" Dave questioned frantically as Ike looked on with concern. Swill quickly recounted what Josie had said and both men's eyes flashed with fury. Just as Dave was about to respond the stairwell door swung open to reveal Pete. He opened his mouth to greet them but was stopped when Swill threw a punch, knocking him into the wall.

Pete clenched his fists in anger, "What the fuck was that 'bout?" he said, glaring angrily at Swill.

Swill stood directly in his face, Dave and Ike watching with matching horrified looks, "You ended things with her? For fuckssake Pete are you retarded or sumthin?"

At his words Pete felt his face momentarily twist in pain before he forced it blank, "Fuck off, it aint yer business. This is the only way to keep her safe," he forced his way past the three men, "If I have to kill myself to keep her safe, I will. You lot wouldn't understand."

He turned and stormed into his flat, slamming the door in their faces while the three men just stood there shell shocked. Each one thinking that of all the couples in the world Pete and Josie were meant to be together.

And for the first time in their lives the GSE boys started to doubt their way of life.

* * *

Josie lay curled up in a ball on her couch dressed in one of Pete's old sweatshirts and sweatpants, keeping her face buried in the sleeves as she continued to inhale his distinct scent. Tears continued to pour down her face as she her mind replayed the scene at the restaurant. It would have hurt less if Pete had physically ripped her heart out rather than ended things between them.

The pounding on her door interrupted her thoughts and she rolled off the couch slowly, wanting nothing more than to tell the boys to just piss off. She open the door cautiously and was met by the grinning faces of Ike, Swill and Dave, all standing with their hands behind their backs.

"What the hell are you lot so happy about?" she croaked out, her voice sounding like she'd smoked a pack of cigarettes in the span of an hour.

"We brought cheer up Josie presents!" Swill said excitedly, "Show her boys."

Ike stepped into her flat first presenting her with three pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream – Cookie Dough, Chocolate Fudge Brownie and Phish Food all three being her favorites and a huge bag of Salt and Vinegar crisps, "Ere Joze." He said, giving a quick kiss to her cheek before moving into her living room, settling on her couch and flipping on a football match.

Swill came in next, revealing a handful of canned pints, "What goes with ice cream and heartache? Beer of course!" he grinned into her face, planting another kiss on her cheek and moving around her to join Ike on the couch.

"Might need somethin' a bit stronger than that," she murmured softly which caused Dave to grin down at her and step forward.

"That's where I come in," he said, revealing a bottle of Jameson whiskey, "Ere Joze." Dave planted a final kiss on her cheek then launched himself onto the couch, knocking Swill slightly in the process.

Josie stared at the three of them who were laughing, eating and drinking and it caused her to smile unwillingly. She walked around the couch, sitting on the floor in front of their legs, "Don't think so you, up 'ere." Swill said lifting her up and setting her between the three men.

She smiled softly at them, "You boys didn't have to do this ya know."

"We know but Pete's a fuckin' idiot and we weren't gonna let you think otherwise. Besides," Ike said, poking her side lightly, "Yer much cuter and he's a miserable cunt especially after Swill punched him."

Josie's mouth dropped open in shock, "You hit him?" she smacked Swill lightly, "What'd you do that for?" Even though she was livid with Pete at this point she still didn't like the idea of him in pain.

Swill pulled her into his side, ruffling her hair messily, "He thought he could get away with hurtin' you with no consequences? I don't think sooo," he sang out.

He grinned stupidly at her and she managed to smile back, "He'll straighten his head out soon and come back to his senses. He can't live without ya Joze, don't worry bout it."

Swill kissed her head slightly before turning back to the football highlights that were now playing, _God I hope you're right_, she prayed as she leaned down to take a swing of whiskey chased by a sip of beer, _cause I sure as shit won't survive without him if you're wrong_.

* * *

**Ok pleaseee don't kill me! But of course feel free to tell me what you think.**

**The road has been a little too smooth for our couple so I had to add some bumps. No worries - I could never keep them apart though :)**


	19. Two Weeks Later

**Soo this originally started as two different versions that I eventually decided went together so hopefully it isn't disjointed in anyway.**

**As always, thanks for the reviewers - you're the best everrrr :)**

* * *

"Josie?" silence.

"Joooosie? Hellooo _JOZE_!" Emma yelled slightly, waving her hands frantically in her friend's face and finally Josie's head shot up in response.

"Huh? You say something?" she questioned quietly earning an eye roll from her friend.

"I've only been shouting your name for the past few minutes…you want to go grab some lunch before you head out for the day?" Emma asked.

Josie felt her stomach roll at the prospect of food, "Um, I'm not really hungry – I'll take a walk down with you if you'd like."

Emma blew a frustrated puff of air out and Josie cringed at what she knew was coming, "Joze, love, I haven't seen you eat since D-day. You're wastin' away in front of me. I'm worried." She said seriously and Josie felt a pull of affection for her friend that dulled her aggravation at having to explain again why she couldn't eat.

"I know you're worried. And don't think I don't appreciate that," she said earnestly, "But I haven't been able to keep anything down since 'D-day' as you so kindly nicknamed it. I've always been like that – I go through somethin' bad in my life and food just doesn't like me anymore."

"Can you just try?" Emma pleaded with her, "Puh puh puh plllease try to eat some fish & chips for me?" she ended throwing in an exaggerated pout for affect.

Josie rolled her eyes, biting her lip to stop from smiling, "Ugh fine."

Emma clapped her hands in delight, "Yay! It'll be just like old times, pre D-day if you will."

She lurched across their shared desk, grabbing Josie's hand and pulling her quickly from her chair before throwing her coat and bag at her, "Slow down Em, I'm not gonna change my mind the slower we move."

Emma blushed lightly, "Oh…well – you never know with you Joze, now get you're tiny little tush bundled up so we can brave the cold."

"I think I've passed my crazy onto you," Josie said raising an eyebrow at her friend, "You're bein' weird."

This comment earned a rough smack to her arm, "Well someone has to be cheery to make up for your sour puss."

She looped arms with Josie dragging her down the stairs and out the museum into the clear, bright February day. They walked arm and arm towards their usual chip shop, Emma prattling along about who knew what as Josie again receded into her thoughts.

"Ugh – Joze, you've got to snap out of this. I get that it's only been two weeks but I really am worried," Josie's face burned with embarrassment, "Have you tried talkin' to him?"

"Absolutely not," she replied stubbornly, "He did this to us. He chose his stupid Firm over me. And he made it abundantly clear that he doesn't love me enough to stay."

Emma looked over at her friend before smacking her upside of the head, "OW – what in the hell was that for?" Josie said fiercely, rubbing her head in pain.

"For being an utter fool," Emma replied sternly, "I know I had my reservations in the beginning but Joze – that man worships you."

Josie raised a shocked eyebrow and went to argue when Emma quickly covered her mouth before continuing, "No – it's listen time for right now: if you could see the way he looks at you when you're not paying attention you'd know it was true. Pete honestly stares at you with this smacked arse look on his face as though you were a personal gift from God to him. I've never seen a tough guy so wrapped around a girl's finger before until I saw you two together. You're perfect for each other – you're both just too damn stubborn to work things out."

Finally Emma dropped her hands from Josie's mouth allowing her to sputter incoherently for a few seconds, "I, I…I just can't – I don't…"

"Use your words Joze," Emma replied with a smirk.

"I have nothing to apologize for…what am I going to do? Beg him to take me back when he's the one that ended it? That would be mortifying…"

"Oh please Joze," Emma said as she rolled her eyes, "Maybe Pete _wants_ you to beg."

"Well that'd be a prick move," she mumbled softly, "Besides – he's been avoiding me. He knows my schedule so well he's stopped coming in when I'm workin' at the pub. Actually," Josie gulped slightly, "Tomorrow will be the first time I see him since D-day."

Emma raised an eyebrow and tried to bite back a smile knowing that if the two of them were in the same room there'd be no way they wouldn't get back together, "Why tomorrow?"

"Match day, he'd never miss it," Josie shrugged casually but she felt her insides twist, wondering how United away went. It killed her to not be able to check on him and to make sure he'd cleaned up any cuts and bruises.

"Well…" Emma said lightly, "Maybe this'll be good for the two of you. I doubt he'll be able to see you and not try to talk to you. And if the two of you are speaking there's no way he'll be able to resist kissing you. And if he kisses you, you'll fold like a pair of twos against a flush draw."

Josie smiled unwillingly at her friend, "Poker references? Pushing me to be back with the hooligan? Who are you and just what have you done with Emma Parks?"

Emma gave a hearty laugh and pulled on her arm, dragging her the remaining steps to the chip shop, "Oh shut it Yankee girl, you've changed this bratty aristocrat for the better so don't rub it in."

"Aw I'm touched," Josie said, placing her hand dramatically over her heart, "Now – eat in or take out?"

"It's freezin' out – we may as well eat here. The food'll freeze by the time we get it back." With that Emma threw the door of the shop open and ordered food for the two of them. Lunch passed quickly and Josie managed to ignore all thoughts of Pete instead letting herself relax and enjoy time with her friend.

The two girls finished eating and Emma dragged Josie out of her seat, pulling her back towards the museum, "Ems, relax – I am physically able to walk on my own, ya know?"

"Course you are Josie Jo, I just like to keep you close," Josie rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless as they walked out into the bitter cold.

They walked quickly down the street, Josie keeping her head down against the wind when Emma nudged her in the stomach with her elbow, "Hey – isn't that Pete's mate? Dave?"

Josie's head shot up to be met with the sight of Dave, pacing back and forth outside the museum, "Huh – it is…I wonder what he's up to."

"Oo, a man in uniform – me likey," Emma said giving a low whistle.

"You're an idiot, you've met Dave before," Josie said with an eye-roll.

"I know…but there's something about a guy in a uni that just gives me the chills."

"A pilot's uniform?" she said with an arched eyebrow, shaking her head slightly, "You are shameless."

The two girls reached the front of the museum and Josie broke away from Emma to meet Dave after giving a quick peck on the cheek and promising to call her with whatever results of D-day plus 14 would be, "Hey Davey, isn't this a pleasant surprise. What's up?"

Dave grinned at her, though concerned shined in his eyes making her uncomfortable as she was well aware of how terrible she looked recently, "Nothin' at all love, I've been away for the week so I thought I'd check up on you."

Josie smiled gratefully, happy he was still coming around. Ike and Swill had been over throughout the week but she'd always been closest to Dave and had missed him over the past few days, "Eh, I've been so-so…" she trailed off, lying never having been her forte.

"Yer a terrible liar, Joze," seeing right through her nonchalance, "Where ya headed?"

"Just headin' home actually, I'm back to half days since classes started."

"Well then it would be my utmost pleasure to ferry you to our neighboring hovels," he grinned at her and Josie tried to return the smile having trouble when she noticed the faint bruises still remaining on his face from the past Saturday's match.

"Sure, sounds good," she took his offered hand and he pulled her towards his car, placing a careful hand on the small of her back.

"How was last Saturday?" Josie tried to question casually, eyeing Dave carefully.

Dave rolled his eyes at her question, "You are so transparent – we're all fine, Dunham especially. Matt came in handy and Pete managed to practically beat it into everyone that you and him are finished."

Josie felt a stab of pain in her heart, "Oh well, that's just dandy."

Dave cringed when he saw the look on her face and he rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, "He's only doin' it to protect you." They'd reached his car and Dave opened the passenger door for her which Josie stepped into, grateful to be out of the cold.

"I have to say," Josie said, leaning her head against the car window, "I'm getting damn sick of hearing how this is for my own good."

Dave sighed sadly, "I know you are Josie, but he's a stubborn twat. He is fuckin' miserable to be around though, that make ya feel any better?"

She shrugged her shoulders awkwardly, "Not so much but it's a nice try, thank you," she replied stiffly.

"Ugh – I could just murder 'im sometimes," he grumbled angrily.

Josie smiled in his direction, placing a soothing hand on his forearm, "I know you could. You've been a good friend to me – I really appreciate that."

Dave gulped and cringed slightly, causing Josie to retract her arm in confusion, "Yeah well, that's what friends are for."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the two of them as Dave navigated his way through the streets and Josie tapped her fingers impatiently on her knee, "Soo, will you lot be in tomorrow?"

"Again Joze, you're so easy to see through – _yes_, Pete'll be in tomorrow," Dave answered gruffly.

"Whoa touchy much?" Josie asked, taken aback when he'd snapped at her.

Dave rubbed a hand through is hair, "I'm sorry… it's just this shit is like nothin' that's ever 'appened before. Christ – it's like when you were gone but ten times worse, it's tearin' the Firm apart. And…"

Josie turned in her seat to fully face Dave, "And what?"

"I 'ave to say Bovver's makin' me nervous. The GSE's about trust and it's just the way he's been eyein' Matt lately…like he's plottin' something."

Josie gave a delicate snort, "Well, we all know my feelings towards Bovver. If it was even possible I'd swear he had some hand in this breakup."

"I don't think he's that terrible but I'm keepin' my eye on him anyways," Dave patted her knee reassuringly, "Now, enough yammer on the GSE. You'll be fine tomorrow, no more worrying on that. And we're home anyway."

And so they were, Josie looked up to see their apartment building looming in front of them. He jumped out of the car and hurried around to the passenger side to open the door for Josie, offering a hand to help her out.

"Well aren't you such a gentleman – why's no lady snatched you up yet?" Josie questioned lightly and was surprised to see when Dave blushed in response.

"Dunno Joze, guess no one's caught my fancy."

"Well the lady that does'll be one lucky girl – I call veto power," Josie said with a grin.

"Veto power?"

"Yeah," she said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "If I don't think she's good enough I have the power to reject her."

Dave grinned and rolled his eyes slightly, planting a kiss on her cheek, "Whatever you say love," as he led her towards their front door.

Josie linked her arm with his; having Dave smiling and alive in front of her could only mean that Pete was safe as well, "I do say so," she said, turning towards him to stick out her tongue.

"You keep doin' that someone might catch it," Josie's mouth dropped open in shock while Dave laughed loudly, "You look like a codfish. Come on', it's brass monkeys out 'ere."

The familiar turn of phrase caused Josie's thoughts to turn once again to Pete and her face fell slightly as they walked silently up the stairs towards their flats. He was never far from her mind and she could feel her stomach rolling at the thought of seeing him tomorrow. She prayed with all her might that Emma was right and that Pete wouldn't be able to stay away from her for long.

"You gonna try and talk to 'im tomorrow?" Dave's voice cut through her thoughts.

Josie tried to shrug, wondering just how she was going to react to seeing him, "I dunno…I think it's better if I stay away – seems that's what he wants."

"Well he's a bloody fool Joze," he replied, rubbing her back softly, "Only Pete would throw away the best girl in the world for the Firm."

Josie blushed lightly, raising an eyebrow in disbelief, "Like you'd choose me over your lifelong mates of the GSE?"

Dave turned and locked eyes with her, "I'd give up flyin' if you asked me to," he said seriously and Josie's breath caught in her throat. The brown eyes that met hers stared back and she suddenly felt a sudden urge for those orbs to be blue.

They were standing inches apart in the hallway between their two doors and Josie stumbled backwards slightly at his intense gaze, "Um, th -, thanks for the ride," she said, tripping over her words, "I'll see you tomorrow."

She turned around quickly, shoving her door open frantically in the hope to get away from a situation that had just turned incredibly uncomfortable with one of her (and not to mention Pete's) closest friends. As she slammed the door of her apartment shut, she leaned back on it breathing heavily, _what the hell was that?_ she thought frantically, _ugh, I need Pete back and I need him back _now_._

* * *

Pete threw the door open to the Abbey, pointedly avoiding looking at the bar as he made a beeline for his usual table where Bovver and Keith were already seated. Today's match was his first day back in the Abbey while Josie was working. He'd been careful to avoid coming down when he knew she'd be here over the past two weeks ever since he'd ended things with her. United away had been the Saturday before and he knew her schedule so well he could easily work around it to avoid running into her.

_Ah United away_, he thought happily, _what a success_. Matt's at first unwanted appearance had come in handy and he'd also been able to get it out there that he and Josie were no more. Hopefully word would spread and he wouldn't have to worry about her quite so much. His chest tightened painfully when he thought of her and he knew today would be hell trying to avoid going over and begging her to take him back. _It's for the best, if she's safe who gives a fuck how I feel_, he thought grimly.

The past weeks had been hell. He'd never been so miserable and had to hide it to avoid criticism from Dave, Swill and Ike who'd been especially hard to reason with. They'd been splitting their time between Pete and Josie trying to make sure both of them were ok but they just didn't understand why Pete had left her. He'd tried to explain it was for her safety but every time he tried to reason with them the boys would argue that it didn't matter to Josie. They maintained that she knew the risks and had accepted them long ago.

But Josie was stubborn and he knew this was best, even if it killed him.

And it was.

Slowly but surely life without her had become dull, monotonous and painful. Everywhere he went and everything he saw reminded him of her and every night he was plagued by dreams of her. He'd averaged about 3 hours of sleep a night and in general felt terrible all the time.

Trying to ignore these thoughts he threw himself into one of the empty chairs at their table before snatching the offered pint from Keith's hand, "Thanks bruv."

He gulped nearly half of it down at once, "I'd slow down there Dunham," Bovver warned and Pete glanced up to see him grinning back at him.

"And whys that Bov?" he replied raising an eyebrow in his direction as he leaned back in his chair.

"Service 'ere has been shit. Only Terry'll serve us, the bird won't." Bovver continued to watch Pete for any reaction and he was careful to keep his face blank, fighting against the urge to beat the shit eating grin off his friend's face. Bovver had been gleeful to say the least when he heard the news of Josie and Pete's parting; it even seemed to cause him to soften his demeanor towards Matt.

Pete chanced a glance at the bar, his breath catching in his throat when he caught sight of the familiar brown and gold curls. Her back was turned to him and he tried to stare as little as possible, turning away quickly when she made the slightest movement lest he be caught staring.

He was saved by familiar shouts and he looked towards the door to see Dave, Ike, Swill, Ned and Matt flooding into the bar. Pete stared carefully as he saw Dave break off from the pack and go straight towards Josie. Using her distraction as an opportunity to examine her he felt his heart break even more.

She looked terrible, even worse than when she first returned from the States after her dad's heart-attack. Huge bags hung below her brown eyes which held no life as she gave a pained smile to Dave. She looked as though she'd lost about ten pounds in the past two weeks and the normal healthy glow of her skin was replaced by a ghostly pallor that caused her freckles to stand out even more. He fought the urge to run over to her as he watched Dave smile down at her, taking her hand in his as she bit down on her lip anxiously.

Pete's blood boiled at the sight of the two of them together, not having forgotten about her brother's warning. A part of him tried to calmly remind him that this was of his own doing but all he could see was Josie. _Shit, this is harder than I thought it'd be_, he thought angrily, frustrated that he'd ever chosen to go down this path. After a minute of talking quietly Josie began filling pint glasses for Dave and when she finished she handed the tray to him as it appeared she refused to serve their table.

As Dave walked away from her Pete let out a breath he didn't know he was holding as his heart returned to a normal pace. He snuck another glance at the bar and was shocked when he locked eyes with the familiar pair of brown that had been haunting him. Josie stared for only a few seconds before her eyes seemed to grow moist and she turned her back to him quickly. Pete swallowed hard before turning away from the bar, wondering why he was punishing both of them like this.

Dave set a pint roughly in front of him, not acknowledging him in any other way before he joined Swill and Ike who were seated at the other end of the table, as far away from Pete as they could be. They were all still mates but a strain had been placed on their friendships as the three so vehemently disagreed with what Pete had done. They'd been closest to Josie and it didn't seem that was changing anytime soon as they spent a good amount of time trying to cheer her up.

Pete leaned back, settling in for a day of discomfort heightened by the fact he couldn't seem to keep his eyes away from Josie. Every so often he caught her eye as she seemed to be having difficulty looking away as well and each time he felt another stab of pain to his chest. This went on for hours when finally the booze took effect and he relaxed enough to act natural. He even chanced a few smiles in Josie's direction which she stared at stonily at first but a few times he could have sworn he saw the ghost of a smile on her face.

Just as he turned to glance over again he felt someone grab his neck hard, dragging him out of his seat and pulling him roughly into the backroom. The afternoon drinks had muddled his mind slightly and before he knew it he was pinned up against the wall, "The fuck you playing at Dunham?"

In all the year's he'd know him Pete had never seen Terry as livid as he was right now. He tried to squirm out of his grip but the shorter man still packed quite a bit of muscle behind him, "The fuck you talkin' about Terr? What's gotten into you?"

"Josie," he snarled back at him and the one word caused Pete to stop struggling as he slumped back against the wall and sunk to the floor.

"How bad is she? The boys won't tell me anythin' cept to call me a twat." Pete stared up into Terry's fuming face that only softened slightly when he noted the anguish in Pete's eyes.

"Fuckin' terrible. It doesn't look like she's been sleepin', she refuses to eat and she flat out refuses to serve any of your lot cept for Dave, Swill and Ike. I keep tryin' to feed her and she humors me with a few bites then looks like she'll be ill. What in God's name was you thinkin'?" Terry asked angrily, the concern for Josie evident in his eyes.

"I was thinkin' I don't want to see her hurt," Pete rose to his feet angrily, stepping forward until he was inches from Terry's face, "But none of you fucks seem to get that."

Terry glared back, "Oh we get that. You think any of us want to see her hurt physically? You don't think we'd do anythin' to keep that girl safe? But what you don't seem to get is what yer doin' now is killing her anyways. And you too, ya look like shit Dunham." Pete rolled his eyes in response as Terry continued, "I'm serious. Just…talk to her mate. Neither of you can live without the other – that's becomin' abundantly clear and –"

He cut off quickly as he heard a familiar voice shouting his name and before he could respond Josie came flying into the backroom. Clearly startled by the sight of the two men standing toe to toe with fists clenched she lost her balance and went tumbling towards the ground when Pete moved forward quickly to grab her before she hit the floor.

He caught her small frame easily, cradling her in his arms and as he stared down into her chocolaty brown eyes he fought the urge to press his lips to hers. Just the touch of her made him feel ten times better than he had five minutes ago but as he set her upright he reluctantly released her and she immediately moved away from him as though burned by his touch.

"Um, awkward," she mumbled under her breath and Pete bit his lip to stop from grinning at her words, "Terr – someone out there is whinin' about the way I made his whiskey coke, says and I quote 'a lady should have nothin' to do with whiskey makin'.' Whatever that means…but either way he refuses to listen to me and he refuses to let me serve any other customer cause he keeps standing in front of me blocking everyone else."

Josie blew a frustrated puff of air out and Pete watched her carefully, memorizing her face at this close proximity, "Alright Joze, I'll take care of 'im. Dunham and I are done 'ere anyways," Josie turned to walk out but Terry grabbed her hand, "You on the other hand aren't." With that he shoved her into Pete's arms and fled the scene before she had time to react.

She was so shocked by the maneuver that she remained locked in Pete's grip giving him the opportunity to breathe in the familiar scent of apples and stare down at her face, reveling in the warmth of her body, "Alright gorgeous?" he breathed out softly.

"Hi," she responded quietly, her warm breath fanning out on his face. She remained locked in his arms and the two stared at each for a few silent minutes until Josie finally seemed to realize what was going on.

She began to struggle, attempting to pull away but Pete simply pulled her into his arms tightly, hugging her body close, "Joze! Relax – ok? I just want to see 'ow you are."

She finally managed to wrench herself free, "How I am?" she snarled back, giving a derisive laugh, "Oh let me tell you how I am: fucking terrible. Look at me:" she said, gesturing down at her body, "I look like shit and I feel even worse. I can't eat, I can't sleep. Most nights I wake up thinking I hear you coming to bed only to find I'm delusionally clutching a pillow pretending it's you. The very sight of you makes me want to cry and I can barely breathe when I think about us. So that's how I am Pete," he stared back at her, cringing in pain as her eyes welled with tears, "What'd you think I'd say? 'Oh fine and dandy, losing you was the best thing that ever happened to me cause now I can be safe from the boogey men!'?"

Josie tilted her head to the side questioningly and Pete was so stunned by her words he was momentarily speechless. She turned to leave but he grabbed her hand to stop her, pushing her against the wall, trapping her between it and his body, "I never wanted this Josie," he pled with her, trying to make her see, "I just can't stand knowing you could get hurt because of me."

"Well I've got news for you – I already have. At this point in time I'd prefer physical pain because it'd feel like a skip in a rose garden compared to how I've felt the past two weeks," she stared up into his eyes, daring him to say this was for her own good.

"Well…we don't have to not talk like we've been doing," he said slowly, "We can be fri-"

He couldn't even finish the sentence as she slammed her hands over his mouth to stop him, "Don't you dare suggest we 'be friends.'" she spat out, "Are you kidding me Pete? In what world could the two of us ever just be mates? It's all or nothing with us, I'm yours, you're mine…remember all that bullshit – how am I the only one that gets that?"

Pete stared down at her, raising a tentative hand to brush her bangs out of her eyes, "Yer not love, I just…I can't," he tried to articulate his worst fears to her. The visions of her bloodied body lying in front of him, how he could stand losing her now if it meant no man ever laid a hand on her. He tried to explain how he felt but all he could think to do was press his lips roughly to hers, dragging her body against his.

The feel of her lips was so familiar it felt like heaven to him. Just two weeks without her had practically driven him mad. He pushed his tongue forcefully into her mouth, smiling against her lips when she moaned softly into his kiss. After minutes of furious kissing she pulled away from him breathless, her eyes shining up at him.

He held her face carefully, stroking the soft skin of her neck feeling relief flood through him at the feel of her, "So what now Pete?" she said so quietly he just barely heard her.

"I don't know Joze," he answered honestly, "I told you before you and me together is the only thing in this fucked up world I'm sure of."

"So then why would you try to leave me?" she asked in a heartbreaking tone as a stray tear rolled down her face.

He brushed it away with his thumb, kissing the spot softly, "Cause I'm a fuckin' idiot."

She stared up at him through wet lashes, "Yes you are. Are you done being one now cause I'd like to be able to eat without immediately feeling sick. I'd also like to sleep on your chest instead of a pillow soaked in tears or –"

He cut her off with another kiss, "Will you ever stop yer talkin'?" he said roughly, wiping a stray curl out of her face, "I guess you win."

"Win?" she replied, tilting her head in confusion and biting on her lip nervously.

He ran his thumb along her lower lip lightly, smirking when she shuddered slightly, "You get to continue to be your stubborn little Yank self and continue to be my girlfriend even though I should know better than to put you in danger."

She arched an eyebrow, snorting slightly, "Always a smooth talker. And looks who's calling who stubborn – the boys told me how miserable you were…said you slept clutching a pair of my panties."

Pete grinned down at her words, noting color was already returning to her cheeks and her brown eyes shined back at him, "Bollocks – though it's a fantastic idea. I'll keep that in mind for next time."

Josie punched him in the stomach hard while glaring up at him, "There won't be a next time unless you'd like your bollocks removed – got it?" she said sternly, pointing a finger in his face.

Pete smirked at the sight, wondering how he ever thought he could give her up, "Yes ma'am."

"You promised you'd never leave me," Josie whispered, suddenly sad again, "How do I know you won't leave me again?"

Another tear leaked from her eye that Pete immediately wiped away, "Cause I'm not stupid enough to leave you again. It's impossible for me to be me without you. You're the other half of me."

He stared into her eyes, willing her to believe him. Finally she nodded her head slightly before throwing her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his waist, clinging onto his tall frame as she hugged him tight. He held her to him, rubbing her back softly as he felt his neck grow wet with tears.

"Fuck Joze – I've gotta stop makin' you cry," he murmured into her ear, wondering how he was ever going to keep her safe from others if he was the one hurting her.

"Yes you do," she mumbled, her voice muffled against his neck.

After a few minutes of silence, the two of them just locked in each other's arms Pete finally remembered just where they were, "Girlfriend?"

Unwillingly she smiled into his neck, "Yes boyfriend?"

"We're in the Abbey's backroom and all the boys are out there and I still have to go be the leader of the GSE."

Josie grimaced up at him, "Ugh, why can't we just be normal for a little bit?"

Pete kissed her forehead softly, "Yer not normal so that's impossible," he said smirking down at her.

"Ass," she said softly, "Fine…go be the big shot of the fleet. I expect you front and center at my place the second you're done beating the shit outta some poor unfortunate soul," he grinned at her, happy to comply with her request, "I'll clean your bruises and you can make the past two weeks up to me."

She raised an eyebrow suggestively and he licked his lips in anticipation, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "Mind still in the gutter?" he said before sucking lightly on her neck.

"Still a prick I see," she said shoving him away, smiling brightly for the first time in weeks.

Pete couldn't keep the silly grin from off his face at the look on hers and he held her face tenderly, "I love you Josie, I'm sorry."

"I know baby," she stood on tiptoes to kiss him lightly, "I love you too. Now go and yes I'll stay safe, promise." She said as she took his hand and dragged him back out to the crowed pub, _fuck I'd almost forgot how perfect she is_, Pete thought stupidly as he felt the warmth of her small hand clasped perfectly in his.

Terry's eyes locked with his the second they exited the room and the self-assured grin on his face made Pete roll his eyes, "Oi, I'm gonna 'ave to figure out a way to thank Terry for buttin' in where he didn't belong," Pete whispered into Josie's ear.

"Fuck Terry – you've got me to make up to first; concentrate Dunham," she said happily and as they reached the end of the bar, just across from the boys' table Pete twirled her into his arms again, bending her back to plant a possessive kiss on her lips.

He smirked as she rolled her eyes and he felt his heart stutter at the familiar look, "Markin' your territory? How animalistic."

Pete growled in her ear, nibbling the lobe lightly, "I have to make sure they remember you're mine."

"Pig," she whispered up to him and finally he up-righted her, squeezing her hand tight as she moved to return to behind the bar. He stopped when she pulled on his hand lightly, "Fight fast, k?"

He grinned back at her, leaning down to place one last lingering kiss on her lips, "Promise – I'll be home in no time."

Seeing her brown eyes light up at this Pete felt normal for the first time in weeks, trying to leave her was the stupidest thing he'd ever tried to do. _Never again_, he promised to himself though the question still remained how to keep her safe from his GSE world when she was his whole world.

* * *

**Toldja I could never keep them apart :)**

**Thoughts?**


	20. The Truth Comes Out

**Just a quick note: hope everyone had a Happy Halloween & is enjoying the extra hour if you're living stateside! **

**As always, thanks to the reviews - you make it alll worth while.**

* * *

Pete leaned back in his chair, grinning stupidly at everyone that looked his way. Swill and Ike's smiles mirrored his own, Dave looked ill (_weird, too much drink_, Pete thought) and the glare that Bovver was shooting back at him was no surprise. But none of these looks mattered to him. The only one he could see was the one Josie kept throwing in his direction.

He could barely keep his eyes away from her and only half listened when Ned started talking about the match, "Oi Dunham! You 'earin us?"

Pete tore his gaze away from the bar to see Ned staring questioningly and Bovver shooting daggers at him, "Shit – sorry mate, what's up?"

"Get yer head in the game Dunham – what kinda showin' are we gonna have if lovey-dovey leader shows up in place of you?" Bovver spat in his direction.

Pete clenched his fists angrily, trying to remain as calm as possible as he reminded himself he did need to focus on the GSE, "Worry about yerself bruv. Its match day, I'm 'ere aint I?" he asked, daring Bovver to argue he'd let his mates down.

"Barely," Bovver grumbled before leaping up to chat up one of the local girls that was lingering just off to the side of their table. Pete rolled his eyes and he noticed Matt grin at the look.

"Always a pleasant day with Bovver, huh?" Matt asked jokingly.

Pete nodded his head absentmindedly, "He is who he is. He just doesn't like outsiders and it doesn't help that two Yanks have invaded his life on a permanent basis," he said lightly.

Matt smiled slightly, "Yanks aren't all bad, _you_ seem to like us just fine."

Pete shrugged his shoulders casually, "Eh – I could take or leave you but – "

"That 'but' better be somethin' along the lines of 'but I'd rather die a thousand deaths than lose the other Yank' or we're gonna have some serious words, Dunham."

Pete's face broke into a ridiculous smile at the sound of Josie's voice and turned to see her wearing a matching look, holding a tray of shots much to the delighted cries of Swill and Ike, "AH you're a legend Joze, thank fuck Dunham pulled his head outta his arse in time for free drinks."

Josie laughed as Pete leaned across the table to smack Swill who darted out of the way of the hit, "Leave him alone Petey – he makes a fantastic point."

At her order Pete stopped his attack instead turning his attention to Josie, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her towards him, "Ere we are boys," she said as she set the tray in between them, "Compliments of the old man hidin' behind the bar."

"Heard that!" Terry shouted and the boys laughed as Josie turned to yell back, "You were meant to!"

Pete stood up, moving out of the way as the GSE leaped forward greedily to snatch at the free shots. Josie noticed Pete didn't bother to grab one, "What? You don't like my gift?" she asked, pouting slightly.

He grinned down at her, pulling her into his arms roughly, "I like you better," he whispered in her ear.

"Oh well lucky for you I like you best," she replied, kissing his neck lightly. He leaned down, tilting her face up to press his lips softly to hers. Pete grinned as she sighed into the kiss and he felt his stomach flip pleasantly at the familiar sensation of her lips. He moved to deepen the kiss, wondering for a minute just how badly the boys would take him skipping the meet. As he continued to kiss her he became more convinced the fallout would be worth it if it meant staying with Josie.

The two stood locked together while the scene around them turned to the usual yelling, jumping, beer throwing debacle that usually signaled the boys would be leaving soon for the match, "I'm gonna 'ave to leave you for a bit, gorgeous." Pete said to her reluctantly, relaxing his grip on her only slightly knowing that as much as he wished he could bring her straight to his place he had his responsibilities.

"Fineee," Josie huffed in mock exasperation, "You coming back here after?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't know Joze, you know how these things go," he cringed as her face fell and he rubbed her neck softly, wishing (and not for the first time) that he wasn't the leader of the GSE as hurting her apparently came with the job.

"Yeah yeah, I know – guess I can't complain too much since you are mine again," she said with a shrug.

Pete smiled softly before leaning in to whisper, "I'll always be yours," and he felt her breath quicken at his words.

"Jesus I'm gonna throw up if you two keep at it," Ike shouted directly into Josie's ear, causing her to jump slightly in shock while Pete smacked him in the back of the head, shoving him away from the couple before turning his attention back to her.

"Alright baby, back to work for you," Pete said with a smirk, kissing her again, lingering for a few moments much to the indignant shouts of the GSE who were itching to take off.

Josie grinned at him, smacking his bum lightly as he turned to go, "I'll be at yours waiting – so don't pick up some slag after you beat the shit outta the Goonies."

The collected boys around her cringed and rolled their eyes, shouting in unison, "It's Goon_ers_!" causing Josie to blush slightly while Pete simply laughed loudly at her.

She stuck her tongue out at the boys before turning to hug Pete goodbye, "Be safe," she whispered into his ear, "Love you."

"I will," he promised, giving her a final kiss before striding out of the bar, the rest of the boys following in his footsteps.

* * *

The loud crash from the kitchen caused Josie's eyes to snap open in shock. Disoriented, she glanced at the clock next to Pete's bed to see it was half past one. Rolling her eyes, she climbed out of bed and hurried into the other room to investigate. She bit back a laugh as she saw Matt sprawled out on the floor and Pete kicking him softly in the ribs in an attempt to wake him. The slight snort that escaped her caused Pete's eyes to snap over to her and Josie cringed to see his handsome face marred by the usual cuts and bruises that came with a match day.

"Didja forget about our little reunion Dunham?" Josie said with a smirk as Pete stared at her gobsmacked. It was lucky for her that Matt was passed out as in her haste she'd run out in a pair of tiny, black boy shorts and a small white t-shirt that clung to her body.

Pete gazed at her, desire filling his body at the sight of her bare legs, "Absolutely not...if I'd known you'd be waitin' in my bed like this I'da skipped the meet."

He leapt over Matt's immobile frame to reach Josie. He lifted her up into his arms, attacking her neck with his lips and groaning when she wrapped her legs around his waist, molding her body close to his, "Why'd I ever think I could give you up?" he asked her seriously, staring into her brown eyes as he ran his hands up and under her shirt to feel her warm, bare skin. She moaned softly at the feel of his calloused hands on her body, gentle despite the roughness.

"Cause you are a stupid, stupid man," she replied, breathless from his kiss, "Now put me down so I can clean you up. And you've got to at least roll Matt onto the rug; he'll catch his death on the floor."

"Fuck Matt, I need to get you to bed," Pete replied, carrying her towards his room, keeping her locked tight in his arms as he planted a kiss into the hollow of her throat. He reached his room, tossing her lightly onto the bed and slamming the door shut before immediately joining her. She giggled softly as he moved to pull her shirt up and over her head, "God I've missed you," he whispered reverently as he leaned down, caressing her bare skin while kissing down her neck softly.

Josie leaned up and pulled his shirt off, running her hands over his chest, sighing happily at the feel of the hard muscles, "You're tryin' to distract me from examining your wounds," Pete sucked lightly on her neck and she breathed in sharply, "And I have to say: it's workin'."

He smirked down at her, knowing he'd won when she began undoing his belt buckle, pulling his jeans and boxers down in one movement, "I'm a pro at distracting you," he whispered softly, moving down her body to pull her panties off. He moved down her legs slowly, running his hands along her smooth, bare skin. Once the offending article was removed he kissed his way back up her body, taking his time as she squirmed beneath him in pleasure.

Reaching her face Josie pulled him towards her, kissing his lips roughly as she used all her strength to roll him on to his back. She straddled his waist and Pete hissed as she moved over him. He ran his hands along her hips, gripping her tightly, he smiled up at her as she leaned in to kiss him again, "I love you Joze," was the last thought he managed to articulate as she slowly lowered herself down onto him, throwing her head back in pleasure. Pete gripped her hips tighter, rising off the bed to match her movements.

They made love slowly both reveling in the reunion and in no hurry, preferring to pretend they were the only two in the world. Hours had passed when Pete finally collapsed exhaustedly onto the bed, dragging Josie on top of his body. He kissed her shoulder softly, smiling into the warm skin that seemed to glow after their activities, "Enough make-up sex for one night?" he smirked at her, feeling happily exhausted as she kissed her way along his jaw-line.

"I'll never have enough of you," she whispered into his ear, sucking his earlobe softly, "But," she said as she pulled away while he groaned in frustration, "We need a break so I can clean the dried blood off the gash in your forehead."

Pete rolled his eyes at her returned determination, "Finee, I liked you better when your one-track mind was for sex not nursing."

She stared at him in mock anger, "Ass, I'm tryin' to ensure that pretty face of yours doesn't get any more scars."

He tickled her stomach lightly, "The only pretty one 'ere is you. Now go on…though I shouldn't even be lettin' you outta my bed."

Josie rolled her eyes, climbing over him and throwing one of his shirts on over her. She moved to walk out into the kitchen when Pete cleared his throat loudly, "What?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The Yank's still sprawled out on the floor and as much confidence I have in him not wakin' till mornin', I'm not risking anyone seeing you half naked – shorts, please." He said, pointing to a discarded pair on the floor.

This comment earned another eye roll and she huffed slightly as she pulled his boxers on too. She walked quietly out of his bedroom, cringing when she saw Matt had moved to the couch and was currently snoring loudly, _shit – I hope he didn't hear us, _she thought hopefully, knowing how awkward the morning would be if he had.

Josie moved into the kitchen quietly, trying to be as silent as possible while searching the cabinets quickly. Finding the bandages where she'd left them from the last stitch up session she ran a washcloth under warm water before scurrying back into Pete's bedroom.

There she found Pete sitting up, staring impatiently at the door as he waited for her return, "Took ya long enough. Having you out of my bed even for a minute is painful."

Josie grinned at him as her eyes strayed to his bare chest, "Smooth talkin' Dunham," she said lightly as she skipped back to the bed, climbing on to him again. "Now lean back." She ordered and Pete immediately tilted his head back to allow her to view his face clearly. She concentrated on the largest cut, just above his eyebrow, patting the gash lightly, unwilling to press too hard in case it hurt him.

Pete watched her in fascination, smiling as she bit her lip in concentration and her soft hands moved across his face, taking care as she pressed butterfly bandages to the cut, "It's gonna scar is my bet since you were too impatient to let me fix it up earlier."

He smirked, pressing a kiss to her cheek as he rolled her off him then pulled her into a close embrace, "Whatever you say Dr. Murphy."

Josie smiled up at him as she leaned up to kiss him again, "I missed you Pete," she said seriously, "I'm looking forward to actually sleeping again. I've looked terrible ever since D-day due to lack of sleep."

Pete arched an eyebrow, "D-day?"

She blushed lightly, "Emma's term – not mine. I think she meant it to stand for dumping day but I never bothered to ask for clarification."

"Ooch," he grimaced, "I forgot about Emma…is she calling for my bollocks on a platter?"

Josie patted his cheek reassuringly, "Actually she was the one telling me that it'd all be fine cause there was no way the two of us could be in a room together without getting back together."

"Smart lady, I'll send flowers," he said with a grin as he kissed her tenderly moving his lips all over her face, not leaving an inch of skin untouched, "Now go to sleep Josie, my gorgeous little Yank."

She smiled back at him sleepily placing a final kiss on his lips before rolling over in his arms. He pulled her tightly into his body, kissing her hair softly as he listened to her breathing deepen and even out signaling she'd fallen asleep.

Pete stayed up, watching her in wonder as she slept. He rubbed his hands along her body, grinning when she'd sigh slightly in content, _my Josie_, he thought happily, kissing her temple before finally allowing himself to fall into the first deep, peaceful slumber he'd had in two weeks.

* * *

Monday morning dawned bright and early and Pete's eyes shot open in panic as he caught sight of the clock, "_Fuck_," he hissed as he jumped out of the bed, tossing Josie onto the floor in the process.

"Ouchhh," she groaned, rubbing her naked backside and glaring up at Pete from the tangle of sheets she was stuck in on the floor. He bit his lip, fighting against the desire to laugh or to pull her back into bed and continue what they'd been doing the entire weekend, "I'dve preferred breakfast in bed versus chucking me out of it but thanks anyway for the wake-up call."

He grinned down at her, scooping her up in his arms and tossing her back onto the bed hurriedly, "I'm sorry gorgeous but I'm so late I'll be lucky if the boys don't stage a walk out." He apologized as he ran around the room, searching for clean clothes and when that failed, searching for the least dirty ones he could find.

"Pete – hop in the shower quick, I'll find you somethin' to wear," he grinned thankfully at her knowing it was necessary since they hadn't left the bed since Saturday night and the one trip they'd taken to the shower together was short lived as Pete had "distracted" her before they'd had a chance to take a full-fledged shower.

Three minutes later Pete rushed out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist to be met with the sight of Josie wearing the sheet like a toga searching through his laundry. He licked his lips at the sight, fighting against his desire for her and smiling when she threw a shirt and tie in his face, "I know what you're thinkin' and if you didn't have time to wipe the soap from behind your ear you certainly don't have time for what I'd want you to do to me."

She smirked as he frantically wiped behind his ears, cringing when he realized she was right, "Cheeky slag," he muttered as he pulled her into a hug, kissing her soundly, "Morning." He said as she yawned sleepily and he swept her up, placing her back into the bed carefully, smoothing her hair as he kissed her forehead softly.

"Hi," she smiled up at him as he kissed her again before turning to dress quickly. He threw his tie around his neck, coming to stand next to the bed as Josie kneeled up to tie it for him like she did each morning before he left. He kissed her cheek as she finished a perfect knot, "Perfect – no one'll ever know it's hiding a spaghetti stain under there," she said as she patted his chest softly.

"Thanks Joze, you workin' today?"

She yawned slightly, stretching her arms over her head, "Ugh yes, but not till nine and just until one…kinda pointless but Em begged me for help."

"No class today either, why don'tcha come by school? Paddy would love to see ya and the boys have missed pervin' on you," Pete smiled as she laughed at his words and he cradled her face in his hands lovingly.

"Sure why not," she shrugged, having already planned to surprise him anyways, "Now _go_ – or there'll be no classroom for me to visit since you'll be out of a job."

He leaned down to kiss her, whispering a quick 'I love you' before running out the door. Josie sighed, flopped back onto the bed and curled up in the still warm spot Pete had been in a short time ago. Her thoughts strayed to the past twenty four hours, the overwhelming sense of happiness that she'd felt when Pete had kissed her in the backroom had yet to dissipate and it seemed he was riding the same high.

She closed her eyes, a soft smile playing on her face as she thought of him and she fell into a dreamless sleep only to wake an hour or so later when her alarm went off. She stretched lazily, feeling her body ache and she moved quickly into the shower.

Josie ran the water hot, letting it stream over her body and glancing down she cringed to see the marks Pete had left behind. She blushed at the memories of how they got there though she prayed there were none on any parts that would be visible once dressed. Once she got out of the shower, she wiped the steam from the mirror seeing it would be another scarf day as her neck was spotted with various bites and marks, _oh well_, she thought happily, _it's the price of being with a hooligan and one I'll gladly pay_.

She dressed quickly, quietly sneaking out of Pete's flat, taking care not to wake Matt who was asleep on the couch. _Maybe I should offer him the use of my place?_ Josie thought in wonder, _it can't be good for him to keep sleeping squished on a couch_. She tiptoed out of the flat, making sure her heels didn't click too loudly until she reached the hall.

Walking normally she clumped down the stairs and out into the street. Glancing at her watch she hurried towards the tube station as she realized there'd be no time for coffee and Emma was going to be mad as hell already since she'd neglected to call her with an update on what happened with Pete.

A short time later Josie was scurrying up the stairs to her office and as she flung open the door she was met with the livid face of Emma causing her to stumble back with a hand over her heart in shock, "Holy hell you scared me."

"Good," Emma said, jabbing a finger into her shoulder, "I have been worried sick wondering what happened with you and Dunham but based on the fact there's a mighty love bite peeking out from your scarf, I think I have my answer."

Josie blushed a deep red and moved to adjust her scarf, "I'm so sorry Ems, I was just a little preoccupied."

Emma grinned back at her gleefully, "I _knew_ it, I just knew there was no way Pete could stay away," she said, dragging Josie towards their desk, "I shoulda put money on him begging for you back as I can only imagine that's how it went down."

Josie tried to bite back a laugh at her friend, "Yes oh wise one, you were correct."

"Oh thank God, you've been a miserable sod to be around." Emma smiled back happily at Josie, poking her in the side lightly.

"Yeah yeah," she murmured, slightly disgruntled at how easily everyone could see how miserable she was without Pete.

"Oh stop pouting Josie posey, if I'd lost access to Dunham's bum and abs I'd have been just as miserable," Emma said with a glint in her eye.

"Oi, keep your eyes to yourself," Josie replied, shoving her shoulder into Emma's.

"Ladies – this isn't social hour," both Emma and Josie whipped their heads around to see their boss glaring down at them, "Get to work…_now_."

The two girls dropped their heads down and quickly took their seats at their desk, grabbing at papers in an effort to look busy, "We'll talk at lunch," Emma whispered.

Josie nodded, not risking speech as her boss was lurking just a few feet away from them. The rest of the morning was spent in relative silence as they worked busily on a fundraiser that was planned for next month.

"Joze?" Emma said a few hours later.

"Yeah?" Josie said, not looking up from her computer.

"It's just one now. I know you're done but you want to grab some lunch? Pub food instead of the chipper today? You've got a lot of sharing to do," Emma said, wagging her eyebrows suggestively.

"Sure," she said a little too loudly, garnering a glare from her boss, "Let's get outta here and quick."

The two girls grabbed their stuff, throwing their jackets on before quickly hurrying out of the office. As they stepped outside Josie let out a sigh of relief to be away from the glaring eyes of her boss, "Phew, what a relief to be out of there. Ready for pub grub?"

"Absolutely, he's so uptight it's unbelievable," Emma said, rolling her eyes at the thought of their boss.

They marched down the street, arm in arm, both chattering happily, a stark contrast to the last time they'd gone to lunch together.

"So just like that – he kisses you and all is forgiven? That boy must have lips of gold," Emma said, slightly disgruntled that Josie had let him off so easy.

Josie shrugged, "I'm much better with him than I am alone…I don't know how to explain it any better."

"Pathetic is the word I'd use," Emma said which earned an smack from Josie, "But I must say I wish I had what you two do. You're disgustingly, adorably perfect together."

"Thanks…I think," Josie said sarcastically and Emma smiled back at her brightly.

They reached the pub moments later, shoving through the door, happy to escape the cold. They settled on a table tucked into a corner. After deciding what they wanted Josie walked up to the bar to order for the two of them.

As she leaned over the bar, waiting for the bartender to notice her, a gruff voice beside her startled her with a yell, "_You_!"

Josie turned in shock to be met with the giant of a man that had threatened her and ultimately led to her and Pete breaking up. She stumbled backwards, fear written on her face.

"Oh relax – I aint gonna hurt you," he said with a sincere smile, "I actually wanted to apologize and I also need you to tell that little shit Bovver he owes me 50 quid."

Josie stared back into the man's face in confusion and all she managed to get out was an incoherent noise that caused the man to laugh, "Names Liam – pleasure to meet ya Miss Josie," he said, sticking a hand out in introduction.

Josie shook it warily, "Sorry I maced you," she said.

Liam threw his head back with a laugh and gave a casual wave, "Not a worry. I guess I played the intimidator too well, eh love?"

Josie still kept a cautious distance, despite the man's friendly tone, "Yes you did," she replied stiffly, "And about that – you mentioned the name Bovver…just how do you know him?"

"Oh that…I've worked a few odd jobs with him and he asked for a favor," he gave a casual shrug, taking a large sip of his beer.

"A favor?" Josie asked incredulously.

"Yup," Liam replied, "He paid me to scare you. He said somethin' like 'that'll scare her off'…weird dude but a hundred quid's a hundred quid. I aint had work in months. I am sorry miss, I went a bit overboard." He dropped his head, looking penitent and Josie touched his shoulder tentatively.

"It's ok, no harm no foul I guess." Just then Emma appeared at her shoulder noticing the angry look that was twisted onto Josie's features despite softening slightly towards the man.

"What's going on? You ok Joze?" she questioned frantically, worried by Josie's tense stance and the giant of a man she'd been talking to.

"This gentleman here was the one who scared me a couple weeks back, says our buddy Bovver paid him to pull that stunt."

Emma's face twisted in rage, "That little fucker," she hissed, "I'll murder him myself."

Liam shied away from the angry blonde in front of him, "Said I was sorry, dinna I?" he responded roughly.

Emma pointed a finger in his direction, "Oh sorry, are you? Do you realize what the repercussions of your actions were? Scaring a poor innocent girl for a quick pound is reprehensible."

"Oi I know tha, I've felt terrible ever since," Liam said, "Not only that, the little shit only paid me 'alf."

Emma looked furious while Josie simply held up a hand to stop another outburst. She took a few notes out of her purse and handed them to Liam, "Consider the debt paid – you have a delightful rest of your day Liam. Thank you for the information, it's been a pleasure." He grinned and raised his glass in cheers as Josie grabbed Emma by the arm to drag her back to their table.

"I take it lunch is a no?" Josie nodded her head tersely, "Ooo, can I come help beat up Bovver?!" Emma said while they both grabbed their coats and walked back outside.

Josie stomped furiously in the direction of the underground as Emma tried to keep up with her, "Joze! Slow _down_, what are you gonna do?"

She shook off her friends grip, continuing to march forward as she went, "I'm going to absolutely kill that little shit is what I'm gonna do. The _nerve_ of that man to think he could scare me away from Pete."

"Joze, calm down – you can't go after him when you're this wound up." Emma tried to reason with her. She brushed off Emma's grip, still stomping angrily down the street. The harder she thought about what she was going to do, the more confused she became as to what she should do.

Rubbing her temple in frustration, "Ugh fine," she groaned, stopping abruptly and turning to face Emma, "I just can't understand how anyone could want to destroy their best mate's happiness like that. Pete felt just as terrible as I did and Bovver sat there with a grin on his face knowing full well what he did."

Emma pulled her into a tight hug, rubbing her back comfortingly, "I know Joze. Bovver's a right bastard but you've got to think this through. Pete would go ballistic if you went to him all riled up like this."

Josie nodded her head slowly, knowing Emma was right. Could she really tell Pete about this? They were just getting back to being happy, the last thing they needed was another blowout. Not only that, the question was whether Pete would believe her or not. She cringed internally at the thought of Pete doubting her.

She sighed heavily, "I guess you're right Ems. Maybe I'll just have a chat with Bovver myself – leave Pete out of it."

Emma grimaced slightly at her words, "Alright pet, but be careful _please_: Bovver clearly has it out for you and if he went to the lengths of hiring someone to scare you, who knows what he'll do."

Josie smiled at her friends concern, "Thanks Em, I'll call you later. Sorry about being a lousy lunch date, rain check until tomorrow?"

"You got it love, see you – call if you need anything." Emma turned to head back to the museum as Josie continued along towards the tube. She walked aimlessly, allowing her instinct to guide her along her normal route home. As the train moved quickly towards West Ham Josie sighed in frustration. _What the fuck is he playing at?_ she thought angrily, _I always knew Bov hated me, but this? _This_ is just insane_.

Josie slammed her head back, cringing when it met the hard glass of the window. Her phone rang in her bag and she wearily grabbed at it, smiling only slightly when she saw it was Pete, "Hello?"

"Hi you, on the way?" Josie smiled at the impatience in his voice as she glanced at her watch to see it was just quarter past one.

"I am actually just pulling into your stop, aren't you supposed to still be teaching?" Pete gave a snort at that.

"Oh I am – the boys are the ones that made me call, they're impatiently awaiting your arrival." Josie gave a disbelieving laugh at that, "Gospel of Paul love, toldja they missed pervin' on you."

She giggled at his words, "You're a twat, I'll be there in five."

"Make it three," he said before lowering his voice, "I love you Joze, see you quick."

"Love you," she said as she ended the call.

The quick chat with Pete had made her decision for her. He sounded so unbelievably happy and content there was no way Josie was going to screw them up again. _No_, she thought determinedly, _I'll go straight to the source_. _If he thinks I'm going to lose Pete without a fight he is going to be sorely mistaken, he's never fucked with a Murphy before that's for damn sure. _At that final thought she set her jaw in determination and walked quickly towards Pete's school shoving all thoughts of Bovver out of her head until she could corner him later that week, thinking only of Pete.

* * *

**Dum dum dummm...bad Bovver. Whatever will our girl do? And Pete for that matter if he finds out..**


	21. Threats & Plots

**Right...quick note: as always thanks for the reviews! I had a bit of fun writing this chapter so I hope you find it enjoyable.**

**Without further ado...**

* * *

"Alright boys – 'eres an easy one: Anne Boleyn died in what way?" Pete stared around his classroom, noticing all of the boys avoiding his gaze. He sighed slightly, "Jackie boy – tell us how did Ms Boleyn die?" he said arbitrarily calling on one of the boys.

The slightly chubby blonde boy looked up with a bored expression on his face, "Erm, venereal disease?" Pete nearly choked at his answer, while the rest of the class broke into a fit of laughter. _Unbelievable, we _just_ went over this_, Pete thought in frustration wondering where the young boy had even heard of VD.

"What in God's name have you been teaching these boys, Mr. Dunham?" Pete breathed a sigh of relief at the voice of the angel that would serve to help end this miserable Monday. He turned to see Josie's small body framed in the large doorway of the classroom, grinning delightedly at him. He couldn't stop the smile that broke onto his face at the sight of her.

Various shouts resounded around the room and most of the boys rushed at Josie, vying for her attention before Pete even had a chance to respond, "Miss Murphy! Where ya been?"

"Did you drive 'ere in a tank?"

"Anne Boleyn died of VD that she got from her brother! Mr. Dunham taught us so."

Pete cringed as the boys stood exceedingly close to Josie, grabbing onto her hands and dragging her to the center of the room, shoving him out of the way as they went while they led her to a desk in the middle of the classroom. He rolled his eyes at the sight, _they're like dogs in heat_, he thought angrily before giving an internal laugh, _God I 'ave a serious problem if I'm jealous of ten-year olds_. He heaved a sigh of resignation, allowing the boys to crowd around her for a few minutes chattering on about everything under the sun.

Finally he shoved his way through the crowd of boys to rescue Josie, "Alright boys, back to yer seats. You lot promised to behave or else this is the last time Miss Murphy'll be allowed to visit."

He took her hand gently and pulled her up out of the desk, leading her to the front of the room as the boys fussed and moaned at being ordered back to their seats, "Threatening ten year old boys now, Dunham?" Josie whispered softly with a slight smirk.

"I have to if I want you to myself," he whispered back, "You're too bewitching for yer own good." Josie colored slightly at his words causing Pete to smirk down at her suggestively.

"Hey now, we're in front of a group of ten-year olds, could you at least attempt to not act like you're going to take me on the desk in front of them?" Josie whispered back as Pete blushed at the thought, inappropriate fantasies filling his head that he desperately tried to ignore, not an easy task when Josie was walking so close to him.

Pete turned to face the boys, leaning against the desk as Josie leapt nimbly to sit on top of it, crossing her legs as the boys stared up at her. She held their full attention easily, "Now boys, what have we been working on lately?" she asked lightly.

All twenty hands shot in the air and Josie looked around the room, "Hmm, how's about Tommy?" Pete's eyes widened in surprise, shocked that she still managed to remember all the boys names when he could barely keep them straight and he saw them daily.

Tommy blushed deeply under Josie's gaze and he lowered his eyes beneath his wire-rimmed glasses, speaking so softly Josie and Pete both leaned forward to hear him, "We've been learnin' about Henry the VIII, Miss, and all the ladies that fancied 'im."

Josie grinned as the rest of the boys eagerly started telling her all about the different wives and how King Henry was a 'fat bastard' as Jackie called him which promptly earned him a trip to the office. The final hour of the day passed quickly for Pete as the boys were so well behaved that he thought about recruiting Josie fulltime. Finally the bell rang shrilly and the boys leaped out of their desks, cheerily waving goodbye to both Pete and Josie forcing her to promise she'd come back soon.

As the last boy filed out Pete moved quickly towards Josie, who was still seated on the desk, fitting his body easily between her legs and burying his hands in her hair as he kissed her gently, "I've been dyin' to do that for the last hour," he whispered into her ear softly.

"Mm, well somehow I don't think the boys' parents would approve of that particular type of education being taught," Josie replied lightly and Pete licked his lips at the sight of her. It had only been a few hours since they'd been in bed but he couldn't help the desire coursing through his veins. He moved her scarf aside, grinning at the sight of her neck. He ran a finger along the marks smirking as she shuddered at his touch and he leaned down to place a tender kiss on the hollow of her neck when a loud bang on the door interrupted him.

"Oi you two get caught shagging on the desk by anyone else you'll be out of a job mate," Paddy shouted loudly, laughing as Pete leapt away from Josie as though burned and she quickly tried to rearrange her mussed up hair and the scarf to ensure nothing could be seen.

Paddy stood in the doorway, green eyes shining at the sight of the two of them, "Ah thank fuck you took this miserable sod back Joze, he was so depressin' to be around I felt like _I'd_ just been dumped."

Josie smiled and jumped off the desk, hurrying over to give Paddy a hug. He swept her into his arms, spinning her around and around. He held on a bit too long for Pete's liking and he cleared his throat loudly, "Unhand my girlfriend, ya bloody mick – yer worse than the boys were."

Paddy relinquished his hold on Josie and Pete pulled her possessively into the crook of his arm, "Seriously babe, why don't you just piss on me? Then no other man would ever come near me," she said in a slightly disgruntled tone.

Pete flushed considerably while Paddy laughed loudly, pinching Pete's cheek and patting his face roughly, "She's right ya know. Though I doubt even the smell of you doin' that would keep the hoard of men jostling for yer place."

Josie punched Paddy in the stomach lightly, "You boys are gonna give me a big head, the only one who wants me so bad is Dunham here."

Paddy snorted at her words, "Jaysus Joze, yer lucky yer cute cause you certainly aint that bright…_ow_!" he cried out at the smack Pete had just laid on his face, "What the fuck was that for?"

"Mr. O'Callaghan! Mr. Dunham! How many times will I have to speak to you boys about your language and conduct?" Ms Reed glared at the two men until she spotted Josie hidden behind Pete's large frame. Her eyes lit up at the sight of her and she held her arms open towards her, "Oh Miss Murphy! How good to see you. How have you been dear? I do wish I could steal you from the museum. You might be able to control these boys if you were teachin' here."

Josie grinned back at the older woman, "Not bloody likely Miss, they're impossible – you're a saint for even hiring them," she replied moving out into the hallway to chat with her while the two boys stared after her in amazement.

"Un-fuckin-believable," Paddy said, dropping his voice low, "Is there anyone that isn't absolutely in love with that girl?"

Pete stared in wonder at Josie as she threw her head back in laughter at whatever Ms. Reed had just said to her, "She is amazin'. Even the wicked witch loves 'er."

"And yer a twat for almost throwin' her away, yer damn lucky no one snatched her up in that time," Pete growled in response, resisting the urge to punch his friend square in the face. The worst part being he knew it was true and there was no argument he could make to the contrary.

The two men continued to stare at Josie and a few minutes later she wrapped up the conversation, rejoining them in Pete's classroom. She immediately stepped into Pete's waiting arms, wrapping her arm around his waist, "Feed me please, I'm starving."

He stared down in her big brown eyes, snorting as she tried to pull a puppy dog face complete with a big pout, "Yer pathetic but adorable nonetheless. Thought you were grabbin' a bite with Emma?"

Josie's face darkened slightly causing Pete to glance down at her in confusion. He rubbed her back soothingly, "You ok love?"

"Hm?" she asked distractedly, "Fine, just fine babe. Emma snacked all day so she didn't want any lunch," turning away from him quickly she turned towards Paddy, "Paddycakes – you comin' with us?" He gave her a grin and pulled her into his side, messing her hair up much to her chagrin.

"And miss out on a date with my favorite Yankee-Irish thinga-ma-jig? Iiii don't think so lady," Paddy said as Josie laughed up at him.

"Peteee," Josie whined, "Your idiot co-worker just called me a thinga-ma-jig, defend my honor," she said goofily as she pointed at Paddy, "Beat him senseless, _now_!"

Pete laughed loudly, sweeping her up into his arms bridal style as she squealed lightly, "There'll be no beating this afternoon – let's get some food in you." He walked out of the classroom, grabbing her coat and bag as he continued to march down the hallway, holding tight to Josie while Paddy walked alongside them.

Pete finally set her down when they reached outdoors, gripping her hand in his as he led the way towards the Greek place across the way from the school. Pete let Paddy and Josie catch up, preferring to enjoy listening to their playful banter instead of participate. Paddy gave her a lot of shit but Josie easily gave it right back and hearing the two of them happily chatter away thrilled him. With Paddy he never had to worry about Josie because there was no danger of the GSE to contend with.

Lunch passed quickly, Josie gulping down glasses of wine while forcing the boys to take shots of Ouzo as a celebration of their reunion. Every so often Pete noticed Josie get a strange glint in her eye and she seemed slightly on edge. Normally a day at the museum spent with Emma calmed her down. Pete watched her carefully, wondering just what she was hiding. There was something off about her and he was going to get to the bottom of it.

A few hours later Pete and Josie were strolling hand in hand towards the Abbey having left Paddy after their marathon lunch with Josie stumbling ever so slightly, "Yer sucha light weight, love." Pete said with a smile as he pulled her close to him, kissing her temple lightly.

"Bugger off Dunham, so sorry I'm not a big hefty drinkin' Fleet man." She said, slurring her words ever so slightly.

"Thank God for small miracles Joze, cause you'd have to be about a few stone heavier and about a foot taller to be an _elite_ drinker," he said.

Josie grinned up at him, "Soo I'd basically have to be the size of Swill?"

He laughed at her words, "Just about. And the last thing I want is a Swill sized lady friend."

She arched an eyebrow at him, "Hmm, I'll have to make sure you're not eyein' Swill in any creepy way tonight – I mighta put the thought into your head."

Pete frowned, poking her in her side sharply, "You doubtin' me already Murphy?"

A shadow passed over her face and was gone so quick he could've imagined it, "Course not, Dunham," she managed to smile brightly at him.

He pulled her hand, stopping her and forcing her to face him, "Something's wrong with you." He stated, not even bothering to phrase it as a question. Pete could read her better than he could read the boys he'd grown up with.

Josie's eyes narrowed slightly at him and Pete gulped, forgetting how her mood swung wildly when she had a bit of drink in her. He'd thought her brother Ronan was a volatile drunk until she'd gotten fully pissed at the Abbey's New Year's party which ended with him just narrowly avoiding being struck by a champagne glass that she'd thrown at his head after an argument over English football versus American football.

"Oh really? And what's that?" she questioned, her jaw set tensely.

"Josie relax," he rubbed her arms softly, "I'm just sayin' you seem upset about something."

She relaxed slightly, dropping the angry face, "I'm just tired is all – haven't had much sleep as of late, especially after Saturday night," she said distracting him easily when he thought of how they'd been making up for the past two weeks apart.

"I know what yer tryin' to do," Pete groaned as he leaned in to kiss her roughly, moaning when she pulled her body against his.

"I've not a clue what you're talking about," she said as she met the force of his lips, running her tongue along Pete's lips.

He broke away from her after a few minutes, panting for air as wonders never ceased to amaze him how her kiss still managed to leave him breathless after almost a year together, "Yer the devil in high heels, you are. But I'll figure it out eventually love," he said tapping her nose lightly, "Promise."

Josie heaved a sigh, relinquishing her tight grip on him, "I wish you wouldn't." she said seriously and Pete felt his heart pound at her tone wondering just what was running through her head.

"Don't you trust me?" Josie stared up into his blue eyes, feeling her heart break at the look.

"Of course I do idiot," she said, turning away from him and clasping his hand tightly in hers as she dragged him down the final block towards the Abbey, "I'll tell you eventually but…you've got to let me work this out of my own first."

Josie bit her lip nervously, knowing how Pete was when it came to her. Impatient didn't even begin to define it. Finally, he sighed, rubbing his hand through his hair in frustration and forcing her to stop once more, "Fine Joze, but promise you'll tell me – when you're ready that is?"

He held his pinky up to her and the grin that finally danced across her face made him sigh in relief as she linked fingers with him, "I love you Pete." She whispered, standing on tiptoe to press her lips to his, "I promise."

"Good enough for me," he kissed her once more before dragging her close to him and pulling her into the Abbey.

* * *

Josie allowed Pete to lead her through the throng of people crowded in the Abbey, holding tight to his hand as he shoved his way through, "Is there a reason there are so many people here on a Monday?" she shouted over the noise while Pete simply responded with a look that implied she should know by now there wasn't a slow day at the Abbey, most especially not during football season.

Pete tightened his grip on her hand as they finally made it through to their usual back table seeing Swill, Dave, Matt, Ike, Ned, Keith and Bovver camped out there. At the sight of Bovver Josie felt her stomach twist in anger and she bit her lip to stop herself from launching into him right there. To his credit Bovver met her infuriated look with one of utter disdain which only served to anger her even further.

Josie glanced up at Pete to see the looks on both his girlfriend and best mate's faces hadn't passed unnoticed. He shot a warning glare at Bovver before looking down at Josie in confusion. It was well known she was no fan of Bovver but she always tried to play the bigger person and was exceedingly nice to him to the point of excessive. The complete 180 of her attitude put Pete on high alert, wondering just what had occurred for her sudden change. He thought quickly, trying to remember any recent encounters eventually shrugging it off and figuring it must relate to how gleeful Bovver had been to hear of their short-lived breakup.

"Aye aye boys," Pete yelled to the group, wrapping a protective arm around Josie as he took an empty seat and pulled her onto his lap. The majority of the boys returned the sentiment with Swill drunkenly rubbing the top of Josie's head playfully as she swatted his hands away from her hair. She stuck her tongue out at him while giving him the finger at the same time causing the collected boys to break into laughter.

Josie moved up to the bar to grab pints for her and Pete before they settled in for a few hours of socializing with the GSE. She realized just how much she'd missed hanging with all the boys as well as Pete versus the more subdued visits she'd had with Ike, Swill and Dave over the past weeks. Every so often she'd notice Pete staring at her thoughtfully throughout the night, trying to suss out whatever she was thinking. The look made her nervous and she knew she'd have to act quickly with Bovver or else she'd break down and tell Pete everything.

A few hours into the night she got her chance. Josie had been nursing pints so as to have a semi-clear head when she talked to Bovver. She glanced around the room just in time to see him disappear into the bathroom. She quickly leapt off Pete's lap to follow him. She was stopped when Pete grabbed onto her hand, "Where you goin' babe?"

"Bathroom," she replied quickly, avoiding his gaze before pulling her hand free from his grip to hurry to catch Bovver. She dodged the crowd easily, weaving through until she reached the short hallway away from the main bar where the toilets were located. Josie stood in front the gents taking a deep breath and praying she'd find Bovver alone.

Luck was with her.

Bovver was standing at the sink, washing his hands and he gave a startled look at the loud bang of the door hitting the wall but as soon as he caught sight of her his eyes narrowed in rage, "Da fuck you want? This is the boys room Yank, piss off."

"I don't think so Bov," she said, slamming the door shut and locking it so no one could interrupt her, "See – I'm right where I need to be. In the Abbey. With Pete. And I'd like to remind you of that tiny little fact: that I am with Pete – _permanently_."

Bovver sneered back at her, a reply on the tip of his tongue that she cut off quickly, "Ran into a friend of yours today…Liam. Name ring a bell?" At her words, his face paled considerably and he took a nervous step back from her, "He seems to think a debt is owed to him for a little job he pulled for you."

Bovver recovered quickly, face falling back into a casual disgust, "Never 'eard of 'im." He said, taking a long drag of his cigarette before blowing the smoke directly in Josie's face.

Determinedly she stepped closer to him, ignoring the acrid smell that invaded her nostrils and caused her eyes to water slightly, "Now now that's not gonna fly Bov," she said in a false playful tone, "You listen and you listen real close – I warned you months ago that what I do with Pete has nothing to do with you," she jabbed a finger into his chest roughly, "But you couldn't leave it alone, could you?

"I'm only going to say this _One_. More. Time – you stay the fuck out of my life. I find out you're trying to sabotage my relationship with Pete I _will_ destroy you, mark my words. That man – your supposed best mate – is my life now and you threaten it again you better make yourself scarce because you do not want to see what I'm capable of."

Josie stood toe to toe with Bovver, glaring angrily into his eyes, breathing heavily with her anger when he grabbed her arm tightly, "Just what is it you think you could do to hurt me, Yank?"

"I'll tell Pete just exactly what it is you've done," she smiled sweetly up at him, enjoying the way his face paled again, a fearful shadow passing over his face, "And if you aren't scared of me you sure as fuck are gonna be scared of him because whether you like it or not – I'm here to stay."

With that she quickly kneed him in the bollocks, satisfied when he dropped to the floor writhing in pain as she whirled around to leave the bathroom. She felt her heart racing frantically, not bothering to give a backward glance as she hurried into the ladies room to calm herself down before returning to Pete.

Glancing in the mirror, Josie examined the way her hair was thrown wildly around and the color that painted her normally pale face. She splashed water over her face, noticing her hands were shaking slightly over the encounter. After a minute or two of taking deep breaths she finally felt she could avoid Pete determining something had happened and she hurried out of the bathroom anxious to be back with him before Bovver could get out there first. She smirked to herself realizing the blow to him would most likely leave him out of action for quite some time and she practically skipped back to Pete, bolstered by the thought that he'd definitely leave her and Pete alone now.

* * *

Pete searched the crowd impatiently, wondering where Josie had gotten to. She'd run off to the bathroom in a hurry and it'd been at least ten minutes since she'd disappeared. He tapped his foot anxiously knowing he was overreacting but he couldn't help it, when she wasn't around he just felt off like he'd lost the use of his right hand.

Suddenly he felt a pair of hands cover his eyes and the scent of apples filled his nose. He sighed in relief as she whispered, "Guess who?" in his ear and he shuddered slightly at the warm breath that tickled the back of his neck. He wrapped his hand around her wrist and pulled her quickly back into his lap, dipping her back as he nuzzled his nose with hers.

He kissed her lips softly before pulling away to stare down at her happy to see she seemed more at ease than she had earlier in the night, "Alright gorgeous?" he whispered with a smile.

Josie felt her heart rate quicken, staring into Pete's clear-blue eyes, "Never better."

"You ready to tell me what's runnin' thru that pretty little 'ead of yers?"

She heaved a deep sigh at his relentless pursuit, "You keep asking me I'll let it slip to the boys how you cried at the end of _The Notebook_."

Pete's eyes widened in horror, "I had somethin' in my eye! Dunham's don't cry," he stated stubbornly.

"Oh you cried like a baby and you know it. I think you even drunkenly mentioned how 'their love was so pure and a lifelong connection of the highest magnitude'" Josie said with a smirk, though the glint that appeared in Pete's eyes caused her to bite her lip nervously just when he started tickling her mercilessly.

She squealed loudly, attracting looks from others surrounding them that neither noticed, "Alright, alright – I submit! Dunham's are the toughest blokes out there."

"You know it," he kissed her nose lightly, "Wanna get outta 'ere love?" he said softly, wanting nothing more than to be in his flat with just her where they could play catch up. He missed knowing every little thing that had happened in her life. She was hands down his favorite person in the world to talk to, above his mates even.

Josie smirked up at him misunderstanding what he was thinking, "You're tryin' to kill me."

He laughed at what she was implying and his thoughts turned easily to having her back in his bed, "Maybe later – I was thinkin' more along the lines of grabbin' some take-out, camping out on the couch and watching a little _Football Factory_ while you tell me every single, silly detail from the past two weeks?"

She arched an eyebrow, "_Football Factory, _Dunham?"

He backtracked quickly, "_The Notebook_?" he said, giving into her easily.

"Deal," she grinned, pressing a kiss to his lips, "After you have a little cry fest, then we can hit the bedroom."

"Cheeky slag," he murmured happily, pulling her up carefully. He threw her jacket at her as she grabbed her bag and he took her hand to lead her through the crowd. The boys shouted their goodbyes as the couple waved to them walking out into the cold, dark night.

"Fuck it's gotten chilly," he said wrapping an arm around Josie and pulling her tightly into his side, "Ya know what's funny?"

"What's that Pete," she said, shivering slightly which caused Pete to hold her tighter to him, rubbing his hand up and down her arm to warm her up.

"Nearly one full year ago I was a pathetic tosspot who didn't know what he was missin' out on. All I thought of life was drinkin' with the boys, football and my reputation with the GSE. Then this silly little Yank comes along and knocks me over, stealin' my soul in the process," Josie felt her stomach flutter with butterflies at his words, knowing she'd been the same – minus the boys and football of course.

"If I remember correctly, and I do – " she said giving him an appraising look, "_You_ ran into _me_."

"Lucky for me," he answered seriously, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, "I was lookin' for you, ya know that?"

Josie's mouth dropped in surprise, "Looking for me? How come?" she questioned, remembering the first day they'd met and not recalling any hint of him being interested.

Pete stared down at her as they walked, gazing in wonder at the way her cheeks were colored from the cold and the sparkle in her eyes that always seemed to shine just for him, "Aw Jesus Joze, I've wanted you since the minute I saw you – I thought it was pretty obvious. I remember distinctly plotting just how to get you alone so I could ask you out. Even then I had to fight Paddy off from you."

She grinned up at him, "How come you never told me this before?"

"As I said, I thought it was obvious. You were meant for me," he said seriously, wondering how she could be so clueless to his intents.

"God I love you Dunham," she said with a laugh, "Who'dve thought I could take down the big bad leader of the GSE and that he had a sensitive side under that rough exterior to boot."

He squeezed her tight, seeing the door of his apartment come into view, "And who'dve thought you'd be attracted to a bad boy."

"Bad boy?" she raised an eyebrow, "When I met you, you were at a museum chasin' ten year olds around – not exactly the most frightening of blokes I'd encountered in Jolly Old."

"Oi, I'm one tough bastard," he said gruffly, nipping her earlobe lightly, "Now hurry it up – its brass monkeys out 'ere."

"Yes massah sir," she said in a shoddy Southern accent that caused Pete to give a slight laugh at her before dragging her though the door of his flat. They walked up the stairs silently, Josie feeling happier than she had in a long time, adrenaline still running through her veins after her encounter with Bovver, knowing the threat of Pete finding out about what he'd done would be sufficient for him to leave the two of them alone. Now she could just enjoy her life with Pete without a worry in the world.

…At least that's what she thought and hoped for.

* * *

_That fuckin' cunt_, was the only thought that Bovver had rolling around in his head as he lay on the filthy bathroom floor of the Abbey. He had severely underestimated this particular Yank. He'd had her figured for the girl that would run right to her boyfriend and tattle but the little bitch had completely surprised him by handling it on her own.

_I am going to make her pay_, he thought bitterly. He knew that Pete was better off without her, it was just a matter of showing him that she wasn't the sweet little angel that Pete thought she was. He put her on a pedestal and it was about time someone knocked her down to size.

So his first plan worked only temporarily. He knew Liam was a gamble and he'd been shocked when it worked immediately. It was clear now that he had to change tactics.

_So apparently Pete thought the reward was greater than the risk of Josie getting hurt_, Bovver thought angrily. _How the hell do I get rid of her now?_

Bovver swallowed hard, finally pulling himself up from the floor, holding on the sink for support. He wasn't proud of what he was planning on doing and there were times he thought about just giving up on Pete as a lost cause. If he was honest with himself he knew how happy Pete was with Josie but truth be told he much preferred the womanizing, slightly discontented Pete that existed prior to the arrival of Josie.

Just then the door swung open to reveal Dave, "Alright mate?" and just like that a light bulb when on in Bovver's head – similar to that of the Grinch that stole Christmas when he decided to, well, steal Christmas. Dave so very obviously had a thing for Josie that it was pathetic. He mooned over her like a lovesick puppy and it seemed the only one unaware of this was Josie.

But Pete – oh there was no way Pete hadn't noticed. And he was jealous to the point of insanity. He watched his bird like a hawk and there was no way Dave's feelings had escaped his notice. All Bovver had to do now was continually press the point of Josie and Dave and soon enough Pete would start to doubt Josie's feelings. He'd already seen firsthand Pete's envy when it came to any other man Josie spoke to and there wasn't a shadow of a doubt in Bovver's mind that this plan would work on a more permanent basis.

In no time at all Pete would see her for the slag she really was. In the back of his head a small bit of conscience tried to ask what would happen to the GSE if Pete and Dave weren't mates but Bovver quickly silenced this thought, concentrating solely on the main task of getting back at Josie.

He grinned back at Dave, "Never betta bruv," and he gingerly walked towards the door, wincing in pain as he moved which only served as further motivation to ruin Josie's life even more.

* * *

**Ugh, Bovvver! Just ruining lives as per usual. Anyways, things are starting to come together...**

**Hope you enjoyed & reviews are always appreciated so so much!**


	22. Noses & Tears, Oh My

**First off thanks to the reviewers. Second this is a bit shorter than I've been doing as of late. & third I'm a bit iffy about this one soo any feedback will be greatly appreciated. **

**Enjoy...**

* * *

"Now hold your hands up, blocking yer face," Pete took Josie's fists, rearranging them slightly, "Good. Oh Jesus Joze, stop giggling – this is serious." He sighed in happy frustration as she fell into another fit of giggles, "I knew I should've banned you from drinkin' wine."

Josie tried to stop laughing, succeeding for the moment at least as she held her hands up, "Alright alright, I'm done. Teach me oh wise one," she snorted slightly while he rolled his eyes at her.

"Ok babe, now try and hit me," he said. They'd been eating dinner at her flat when she'd asked him to teach her some defensive skills. He should've known it was a bad idea when she'd nearly finished a bottle of wine by herself with dinner.

Just as Josie pulled her fist back three things happened simultaneously: someone banged on her door, Pete glanced over at it and Josie punched Pete square in the face.

"Holy _shit_," he yelped in pain, his eyes watering and blood flowing from his nose.

"Oh my God baby, I am so sorry – come in!" she shouted to whoever was at the door before sprinting into the bathroom to grab some bandages and ran a washcloth under warm water as she hurried back into the other room.

She saw Dave resetting Pete's nose with a loud crunch as Swill stared on, biting back a laugh. Josie cringed, physically pained that she'd hurt him, "Jesus Joze, what'd he do to ya to deserve a broken nose?" Dave yelled to her.

Josie blushed deeply as she reached Pete and shoved Dave out of the way, "It was an accident," she glared at Dave before addressing Pete, "Come 'ere babe." She led him to the couch, forcing him to sit down before straddling his lap and leaning his head back gently. She pressed the washcloth to his nose, wiping the blood away as she bit her lip nervously.

"I am never teachin' you anything again," Pete mumbled, staring through watery eyes into Josie's brown ones. He tried to lean forward to kiss her but she shoved him back, "Nuh uh, I have to fix this first Romeo." He groaned in frustration as he leaned back again, letting her soft hands clean his face up as she taped his nose carefully, _unbelievable this girl is_, he thought at the ridiculousness of the situation, _but fuck if she isn't perfect for me_.

Pete glanced around the room, wondering why the boys were here and his eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Dave blatantly staring at Josie with an awestruck look on his face. He tightened his grip on her hips, pulling her closer to him and trying to shake off the wary feeling Dave had been giving him lately. Bovver had even been mentioning how he'd seen Dave hanging around Josie more and it caused a slight panic to well up in him at the thought, the memory of her brother's warning always in the back of his mind.

"Dr. Murphy is done fixing the work that Fighter Murphy created," she kissed his nose tenderly then moved to his lips, "Sorry Pete," she whispered as she hung her head in shame.

Pete tilted her face up to him, "Yer a bloody liability. Maybe she should be teachin' me how to fight, eh boys?" he addressed Dave and Swill who both grinned widely and shook their heads in agreement, "What are you lot doin' ere?"

"Friday night bruv, thought you'd want to join us for a session at the pub. Especially since Miss Josie isn't working and finished up that big paper early," Dave said and Pete eyed him dangerously, _now how is it he knows about that?_, he thought bitterly since he'd only just found out about that a couple hours ago.

He'd originally planned on meeting the boys out since he thought she'd be in the library all night but had been pleasantly surprised when he'd showed up at her flat for a quick hello and found her cooking a surprise dinner for him.

Josie looked at Pete questioningly, "It's up to you babe, I'm your personal slave for a week after the results of my botched fighting lesson."

He pressed a kiss to his favorite freckle that sat just to the right of the hollow of her neck, "Hmm, slave for a week, eh? I may have to get that in writing," he whispered only to her before addressing the boys, "Yeah sure, we'll come for a few. Give us a couple minutes and we'll meet ya down there," he said with a dismissive wave.

Dave and Swill waved goodbye as they walked out of Josie's place and Pete pulled her towards him, "Hmm, now – as your master – I insist that you cook breakfast naked and deliver it to me in bed tomorrow morning."

Josie threw her head back in laughter as she nuzzled her nose into his neck, placing a kiss just below his ear, "Whatever you want," she whispered before kissing him tenderly.

Pete held her to him for a few moments before releasing her so she could change and he leaned back on the couch, glancing around her place. He grinned at the many pictures of the two of them that dotted her walls. Some of them showed groups of the boys and when his eyes landed on a photo of Matt he started thinking about that particular situation.

Matt had been around for a few months now and was still alternating between his couch and some of the other boys. Whenever Josie stayed over (which was more often than not) she'd offer her place to him. His eyes strayed to another photo of just him and Josie that had been taken around Christmas that showed her in a ridiculous sweater that had a huge knit tree on the front of it and she had wrapping ribbon tying her hair up in a high ponytail.

Pete laughed at the sight of it remembering how she insisted it would spread holiday cheer. He continued to stare at the picture, examining her closely, smiling at the way she seemed to fit so perfectly with him. Just as he felt her wrap her arms around his waist he was hit with an idea, "Yer lease is up soon innit?"

"Yeah, at the end of March," she said as she furrowed her brow in thought, "Whoa, which is in two weeks. Time's made a fool of me, I should probably have a chat with my landlord before I'm out on the street."

"Well…" Pete started as he turned to face her, resting his hands on her hips, "I was thinkin'…" he bit his lip in thought, nervous for what he was going to ask.

Josie stared up at him in concern, "What is it Pete?" she asked as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I think you should move in with me," he said in a rush of words then closed his eyes in case she pulled a horrified face at the very thought of it.

Josie's eyes widened in shock and she felt her heart pound in her chest as she stared up at him, "Open your eyes idiot," she whispered as she kissed his lips softly, "I'd love nothing more."

Pete's face broke into a wide grin, "Really? You want to live with me?"

"Course I do, we pretty much do anyways," she barely got the words out before he'd pulled her into a bone crushing hug, "I love you." She whispered to him softly.

"Mm, I love you too," he said as he nuzzled his nose against hers, "Even if you did break my nose."

"Twat," she whispered into his neck as she sucked lightly on his pulse point, "You ready? Quicker we're done there, quicker we're back here. _Alone_."

"Mm, that's my girl – always thinkin' with yer lady parts." Pete murmured to her, knowing what was coming.

Josie shoved him away, a furious blush creeping up her face, "Ugh, you're always ruining a sweet moment with your perversion."

Pete laughed loudly at her before pulling her flush against him, bending him her back and kissing her roughly, "You love it," he mumbled into her lips before he finally set her up right.

"I love _you_," she breathed into his lips, "Now lemme go, time to leave."

Pete released her reluctantly as she took his hand and led him out of her flat. The short walk was made slightly longer as Pete tended to continually pull her into his arms, raining kisses down on her face and neck thrilled to think about their future together. Living together was just the beginning – soon enough, she'd be his forever.

The mid-March night was unseasonably warm so it made the two of them dawdle that much more. The usual seven minute walk ended up lasting about fifteen when they finally shoved through the door of the Abbey to the delighted shouts of the boys.

"Joze! You ain't been 'ere for fun in forever!" Ike shouted happily, pulling her from Pete and towards the bar, "Shots on me."

At this the boys immediately crowded around Ike and Josie until he waved them away, "I meant for her ya twats – get yer own drinks." Josie laughed loudly at the fallen look on their faces, pinching Swill's cheek lightly and offering to buy him a drink which obviously snowballed into buying a round for the whole lot of them.

Pete grinned across the room at the sight of her just as she threw back a shot, grimacing slightly at the taste of the liquor. His eyes darkened slightly when he saw Dave edge closer to her and he heard Bovver clear his throat next to him, "Bit cozy, eh?"

"Bov – leave it. Dave ain't stupid and Josie isn't about to leave Pete anytime soon. So just fuckin' drop it cause I've about had it listenin' to the two of you tryin' to figure out if Josie's a slag or not. I got news for you two – she ain't," and with that Keith stood up to join the rest of the boys at the bar.

Pete felt his jaw drop. Keith. Quiet Keith who never spoke out against anything Pete or Bovver said and had never seemed to particularly like Josie had just sat there defending her and saying she was a good girl. He glanced next to him to see Bovver wearing an evil glare and he shoved out of his chair before he could say a word.

Keith was right. Pete was being an idiot and Josie had just agreed to move in with him, did he ever really believe she'd leave him for Dave? _Fuck I'm an idiot_.

He stood back from the crowd, letting the boys cluster around Josie eagerly. He'd nearly forgotten she was the only girl that had ever been able to befriend the boys. She held the status of being taken which meant the rest of the boys were more comfortable with her. Pete knew that most of them went to her for advice on women or just the silly stuff that you couldn't say to a group of men who'd rip the piss out of you for asking what to get their mum for Christmas.

_How could I be so selfish to keep her to myself?_ Pete thought, momentarily shamed. He turned to stand at the end of the bar, leaning against it as he took in the scene around him. The sudden movement of the Abbey door swinging open caught his eye and the person that walked in caused his mouth to fall open in shock.

Through a haze Pete heard Terry give a low whistle behind him, "Tell me that ain't who I think it is."

"Olivia." He stated by way of confirmation.

Luck was with him and the boys had yet to notice her entrance along with another girl he barely recognized from grade school. Unfortunately, it didn't hold out for long as slowly he noticed the boys start to point and whisper. He barely noticed Josie pulling a confused face as she looked at him questioningly while he simply ignored the look, staring in the other direction before moving towards the two newcomers.

* * *

Josie followed Pete's gaze and felt her mouth go dry as she saw him staring at two girls she'd never seen before. No – not two girls, just one. One tall blonde who would dwarf her, with the lightest of green eyes and curves Josie would kill for. Her makeup was caked on but she was pretty in a very overstated way.

She felt her stomach flip unpleasantly at the look in Pete's eye and realized the rest of the boys had pretty much fallen silent at the entrance of the two new patrons, "Steven? Steven Wilkins is that you?" Josie stared gobsmacked when the shorter of the two girls came waltzing towards the boys, flipping her long strawberry blonde hair over her shoulder, "My my I just never expected to run into you boys here!" she swooned before throwing her arms around Swill.

Josie rolled her eyes before grumpily turning back towards the bar, _hah, what a crock of shit, where else would the boys be on a Friday night?_ She thought bitterly as Swill made small talk with the girl, "Alright there Zoe? Haven't seen you two blondies around 'ere in years."

Stepping further away from the group, she searched for Pete only to see him locked in a hug with the tall blonde. Fire ran through her veins, eyes flashing at the sight and she was about to march over when she felt someone grip her arm tightly, "Joze – leave it."

She tried to shake Terry's grip off her arm but to no avail and she finally gave up when she realized he wasn't letting go, "Alright, alright Christ! I'll let my boyfriend flirt away with some whore," she spat out, plopping angrily into an empty barstool. "You might as well get me drunk old man, shot of Jameson's please."

Terry gave Josie a sympathetic smile as he set the shot in front of her along with a pint and she took it easily, not even feeling the burn of the liquor as it made its way down her throat, _what are you worried about? He just asked you to move in with him, who cares that he's over there chattin' some girl up,_ a part of her said soothingly.

_Funny that you apparently don't exist though Joze_, another voice replied tauntingly, _you knew he was too good to be true_.

"Ugh," she groaned out loud as she dropped her head to the sticky bar top not even glancing to her right when the empty stool moved and a body dropped into it. Knowing it wasn't Pete she chanced a glance to her side to see Swill giving her a reluctant smile.

"They're just girls we grew up with, haven't seen 'em in years," he said by way of explanation.

Josie tried to shrug casually but it came out as more of a twitch, "I didn't say a word. S'not my business," she lied awkwardly as she chugged half of her beer down.

Swill poked her in the side, "Yes it is. You've nothin' to worry about. Dunham's crazy about you & so are we."

She glanced over to see Pete leaning in towards the yet unnamed girl, grinning at her stupidly and her eyes narrowed at the sight, "That a fact?" she asked skeptically, "So just who is she?"

Swill sighed, "The true-blonde is Olivia – Pete may or may not have had a thing with her when we were younger but it was over and done with years ago. The other one's Zoe – Davey had a quick fling with her years back." Josie felt slightly nauseated at the sight of Pete with the other girl, realizing she'd had a bit too much to drink and this was not a good situation to be in. She was toeing the line of going over and ripping the other girl's hair out.

Not wanting to embarrass herself she downed her pint in two gulps then slammed it down, "Fuck it. I'm out of here," Josie said a little louder than planned which caused a few curious glances in her direction. But not the glance she'd been hoping for, "When he realizes I'm gone tell him not to bother coming to mine. That way he has an option to bring blondie home if he so chooses."

"Josie don't be stupid," Swill tried to reason with her as he grabbed her hand lightly, "He's just catchin' up with her. And you shouldn't be wanderin' the streets alone."

She shook off his grip, stumbling slightly in the process, "So? I'm letting him catch up. And I'll be fine – I live five minutes away."

Josie walked determinedly towards the door, not even sparing a glance around the rest of the room. As she stepped into the now cool night air she breathed in deeply wondering what had gotten into her. _Girls chatting up Pete were nothing new so why is this one getting to me?_ She thought in frustration when a tiny, evil voice answered _cause you finally have some competition. _

Josie wrapped her arms around herself, feeling a tear leak from the corner of her eye replaying the night's events in her head. _Why, oh why did we ever agree to go out tonight?_ She thought despondently. She couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Pete didn't even notice her when she'd walked out. It was so unlike him. Normally they were so completely in sync that they knew where the other was at all times. But tonight – tonight it was as though she didn't even exist.

She heaved a huge sigh, wiping another tear from her eye and hurrying towards her flat, wondering what would happen when – _if_ – Pete showed up at her place tonight.

* * *

Pete sat staring at Olivia as she talked about her time in France. He grinned at the familiarity of her and her soft, English accent. He laughed lightly at part of her story before noticing her empty glass, "Lemme grab you another drink, love," he said as he stood up, striding towards the bar.

He was met with the sight of Ike and Swill, both with arms crossed over their chests and glaring sternly at him, "Aye aye boys?" he asked, wondering what their deal was.

"Yer un-fuckin-believable mate, the queen bee strolls in and you forget about someone?" Pete stared at Ike in confusion, wondering what the fuck his problem was when comprehension dawned on him through his beer addled mind.

"I take it by the sickly look on yer face yer just now rememberin that pretty little Yank you've been runnin' around with for about a year now," Swill said sarcastically as Pete looked frantically around the room, "Don't even bother bruv. She took off about two hours ago – nice of you to finally notice."

Pete stood taken aback by the harshness in Swill's tone, "What the fuck's yer problem?"

Swill stepped forward to meet him, "What's my problem? The fact that the girl you're mad about walked outta 'ere – alone I might add – fighting tears because her twat of a boyfriend took a fancy to the new shiny toy in the room."

Pete realized the bar had fallen silent and all eyes were on him, "This ain't yer business bruv, so just back off." He said edgily, not wanting to back down in front of the watchful crowd.

"Er, Pete?" a voice said accompanying a slightly nauseating floral scent he noticed for the first time that contrasted with the familiar apple scent of another, "Thought you were gettin' that pint?"

He glanced down to see Olivia looking up at him with doe-like eyes and he felt slightly sick at the green staring back to him when he'd become so used to brown, "Oh my God Josie." He groaned in disgust that he'd been so caught up in his old flame that he'd forgotten about the girl he was madly in love with, the girl he'd not three hours earlier asked to move in with him.

"I'm Olivia idiot," the blonde smiled warily back at him and leaned into his side, wrapping an arm around his waist. Her touch made him feel physically ill and he stared down at the too tan face and the heavily lined eyes wondering what he ever saw in her. And what would have every made him want to talk to her tonight.

Chalking it up to the amount of drink he'd had he pulled away from Olivia, "No. _No_," he said more forcefully as he moved further away from her, "You shoulda hit me Swill, preferably two hours ago – but thanks bruv, I'm an absolute fool." He turned to Olivia, "I'm sorry – you'll have to get that pint yerself."

Her mouth dropped open before her eyes narrowed slightly, "Yer just gonna leave me? I haven't seen you in years and we were just starting to catch up," she said with an exaggerated pout, fluttering her eyelashes foolishly.

"Yeah well, I'm sorry. You'll have to find another toy for the night," he walked away from her quickly not even seeing the look of fury that painted her face.

Pete burst out into the cold clear night, running towards Josie's flat. _I ask her to move in with me then moon over some chav I went out with back in grade school – what kind of prick does that? And to a girl like Josie no less_. He picked up his pace when he remembered Swill saying she'd left in tears – alone.

_Fuck me, am I in trouble_, he though, praying he wasn't about to encounter the famous Murphy temper he'd learned to avoid. Unfortunately for him, he didn't think he had a shot in hell of avoiding it tonight.

* * *

**Soo, what do we think will greet Pete? Anger? Tears? Josie & Dave together? Hmm...decisions, decisions. **


	23. Two Three

**I'll make this quick cause its way late, the Pats just got demolished & I have a loong day tomorrow. As always thanks to the reviewers. Hope you enjoy this & if there are silly mistakes I apologize my eyes are burniiing from sleepiness. I can't even think of a proper chapter title, blah.**

**Either way, hope you like it :) Also...don't hurt me.**

* * *

Pete stood outside Josie's door, hesitating to knock even though he'd sprinted the short distance between the Abbey and her flat. He stood there wondering what he was going to encounter and as he danced back and forth on his feet he finally got the courage to knock lightly, figuring just barging in on her would only serve to piss her off even more.

To his shock, the door swung open to reveal Dave standing there, a stony look on his face, "Alright, bruv?" Dave asked grimly.

Pete's eyebrows shot up and his blood immediately turned cold at the thought of Dave comforting Josie for the past two hours while he was chatting up Olivia, "Yeah – she 'ere?" Pete questioned gruffly, not even looking at him as he peered over Dave's shoulder hoping to catch sight of Josie.

Dave stayed standing in the doorway, effectively blocking Pete's entrance, "She doesn't want to see you."

"That right?" he hissed, seething slightly at the interference, "Well it really ain't yer business and I'm not leavin' until I talk to her."

Dave opened his mouth to reply but was stopped at the sound of Josie's voice, "It's fine," she said in a small voice, "Thanks Dave – I'm about packed anyway."

At her word's Pete's heart dropped to his stomach, "Packed?" he asked in a strangled voice as he finally managed to shove past Dave to enter her flat.

Dave walked towards Josie and pulled her into a hug, "I'm sorry Joze – call if you need anything." Pete watched the two of them, fire coursing through his veins as Dave kissed the top of Josie's head before turning to leave without a backward glance at Pete.

Josie avoided Pete's gaze and walked around him to get her coat that was on the back of the couch. His emotions volleyed back and forth between anger at Dave's presence and panic at the fact that Josie wasn't yelling yet. Her style of arguing was explosive anger, followed by bitter tears and ending in angry, makeup sex. That's how it worked. That's how it was supposed to work. This, _this_ was different and panic inducing to say the least.

"Josie…" he started, wondering where he was going with this. She stopped her movement of putting her jacket on and stared blankly at him, her brown eyes ringed red and swollen from the tears she'd clearly been crying. _Fuck me, why can't I stop hurting her?_ he thought in shame.

She stood there, a pained look on her face as she waited for him to continue, "I know its worth fuck all but I'm sorry."

"You're right about that Pete," she said quietly, "It means shit. I don't even want to ask what you were thinking because the possible answer scares the hell out of me."

Pete moved towards her and she mirrored the move, stepping backward from him effectively keeping the same distance between them, "Joze – please just let me explain."

"What in the fuck is there to explain?" she hissed, her eyes flashing and the familiar sign of her temper gave Pete some strange relief. However, it was short lived when she took a deep breath, closing her eyes before continuing in an even tone, "Forget it – I don't want to hear it right now. I just need, I need," she hiccupped slightly before collecting herself, "I need to just think some shit out without having you distract me."

She turned on her heel and picked up the overnight back that he hadn't noticed sitting on the kitchen table, "Where –" he swallowed the lump in his throat, "Where are you going? To Dave's?" he spat out, the words sprouting up from his insecurities.

Josie narrowed her eyes slightly, "Oh you have _got_ to be kidding me?" she shot back at him, "You're going to turn this on _me_? It took you two," she held up her fingers to exaggerate the point, "Two fucking hours to realize I was even gone. I can only assume you spent that time chatting up that slag of an ex."

Pete cringed at her words, knowing it wasn't the right path to go down but he couldn't help it. Knowing the fact that Dave had spent those two hours alone while Josie was vulnerable only added fuel to the fire, "Oh and Dave just happened to run into you here?"

"Oh. My. God." She hissed, "I am not having this argument. I am not going to sit here and proclaim my undying love for you while you accuse me of being a cheating whore. I'm not doing this jealously bullshit anymore – not on my end or yours." She threw up her hands in frustration and pulled her coat around her tightly, "I'm going to Emma's. It's the only place you can't find me. I need to just not be around you right now."

Josie moved to walk out but Pete blocked her, holding her upper arms in a tight grip, "Oh but talking to Dave will help?"

She glared up at him angrily, "Fuck you Pete. You seriously think I'm interested in Dave? How many fuckin' times do I have to sit here and tell you that you're it? Listen to me now, cause I'm only going to say this just one more time as it may be the last time."

Her brown eyes glistened with tears and Pete felt his heart breaking, not quite understanding why he was so convinced Josie would leave him when he'd been the one acting the fool, "Last time? You choosin' Dave over me or somethin'?"

At this Josie wrenched herself out of his grip, a solitary tear rolling down her cheek, "No." she just barely whispered, "It might be the last time because _you_ may choose someone else. So listen to me and understand me loud and clear: I am stupidly, foolishly, ridiculously in love with you. I can barely breathe when I'm around you. I love everything about you even the shit that I hate – like your normal bullshit jealous. It physically kills me to be apart from you and to see you tonight; mooning over some girl and forgetting about my very existence nearly broke my fucking heart."

Pete stared at her, his heart falling to his stomach, his mind blank as he had no idea how to respond, "Do you think I'm an idiot? I know Dave feels something for me but so what?"

Hearing her confirmation of his worst nightmare snapped him from his daze, "So what?" he said through clenched teeth.

"Yes." She replied simply, "Who cares what he feels for me? I realized something tonight that I don't give a shit about all the other girls who are eyeing you up and down because I _know_ how I feel and I know how _you_ feel. At least…I thought I did," she trailed off painfully, feeling her stomach clench nervously.

"This isn't about other girls this is about you finally admitting you knew Dave has feelings for you and yet you continued to be all fuckin' friendly with him," Pete's head was spinning with anger and frustration and most of all, a feeling of dread. This was the first time he felt in serious danger of losing her.

"You just don't get it," she said, feeling her shoulder's sag in defeat, "This isn't about anyone else. This is about the two of us, about accepting that we can't control how other people feel but we can control our own damn relationship."

"How can this just be about us?" he asked, throwing his hands up in frustration, "How do you think I feel findin' out one of my best mates is in love with the girl I plan on fucking marrying?" he barely heard the sharp intake of air she took in at his words, "How do you think I feel watchin' every man in the Abbey undress you with their eyes while you flirt away with them? I just sit there and take it and the one time I don't shower you with affection you run right into Dave's waiting arms."

Josie's head throbbed in anger and tears flowed freely down her face as she stared into the familiar blue eyes that now held so much anger she recoiled back from him, "Christ if that's what you think, you don't know me at all. I'm not doin' this. I'm not going to stand here and listen to you berate me when I have done nothing wrong. I can accept that you wanted to catch up with an old friend. I can accept that you wanted time apart from me. But what I can't accept is you accusing me of cheating especially with one of your best mates. When you figure out if you actually trust me, we'll talk."

Pete watched in shock as she wiped the tears from her face, stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek before dropping her head as more tears coated her cheeks, "Try to remember I love you," she whispered before finally pushing past him and out the door.

Pete stared at her retreating form, wondering if he should go after her and drop to his knees and beg for her to forgive him for being such a fuck up. Knowing it wasn't the best idea he instead walked back into her flat, looking down from the window to make sure she took a taxi so he at least wouldn't have to worry about her getting hurt. From the window he saw her get in a cab, giving one last lingering look up at her building, "You are out of your fuckin' mind, mate."

His entire body tensed at the sound of Dave's voice, "Fuck off – yer the last person I want to see right now."

Dave cringed, "Figured as much. I uh… I heard some of yer fight."

Pete glared at him angrily, "Heard how I know yer in love with my girlfriend?"

Dave blushed crimson, "Bruv, it's not how it seems."

He could barely contain his fury at his friend. To think that all this time Dave had been sitting there waiting in the wings for Josie to get sick of him caused a violent desire to smash Dave's face in. Pete breathed in, clenching his jaw before finally managing to respond, "Not how it seems? So explain to me then just what you was doin' with _my_ girlfriend."

Dave gave a snort, "Jesus Pete – Josie is a person not a fuckin' possession."

At this the thin hold he had on his temper snapped and he crossed the room in two steps and before he knew it he had Dave pinned against the wall, his forearm holding him up by the neck, "Just watch your tongue bruv, you don't know shit about Joze and mine relationship."

Dave struggled against him and managed to at least free himself but Pete still had him pinned against the wall, towering over him angrily, "I know that apparently every month or so you freak out and nearly end things with her. What's this? The third time in as many months?"

"Twice you cunt. As I said – you know nothin' about Joze and I. We get into minor fights all the time, about stupid shit, its nothin' we can't get over. We love each other, it's enough," _it has to be enough_, he finished in his head.

"Oh Christ Pete," Dave gave a scornful laugh, "The fights aren't nothing. You're not the one who had to sit there watchin' her wasting away right in front of you when you decided to end shit with her. You didn't have to watch her eyes well up with tears anytime something reminded her of you – which was pretty much everything. So get off yer fuckin' high horse and realize just what it is yer doin' to her."

"What?" Pete asked in shock, "You think I'm _bad_ for her?" he asked in disbelief.

"Yea bruv – I do. She deserves better."

And with that, any shred of control he had flew out the window as he drew his fist back and punched Dave square in the face. The resounding crunch did little to satisfy him and he felt hot guilt bubble in his stomach when he saw his friend bleeding. The two of them stood inches apart from each other as they glared evilly at each other, daring the other to do something.

Finally after a few tension filled minutes Dave lost a bit of his edge and he stepped back a few steps, "Listen Pete – I'm sorry. I know you love her and I'd be foolin' myself if I ever thought I 'ad a chance with her. Yer her choice, you'll always be her choice but if you don't stop your jealous bullshit you're gonna drive her away regardless how much she loves you."

"Choice?" Pete questioned as those words stuck out from the rest, "Did you ask her to _choose_?" he spat the word with disgust.

Dave's blush was the only confirmation he needed, "For fuck's sake Dave – I expect meddling from Bov. Hell – maybe even some of the other boys but _you_? You get what she means to me. You know I can't live without her."

Dave's eyes burned with shame and he reached a tentative hand out to grip Pete's shoulder, "I know and I've been a bloody fool. I shouldn't even think of movin on Joze – I just hate seein' her so upset."

"I don't like it any more than you do bruv," Pete rubbed his head in frustration, "I dunno what 'appened tonight. I mean – one minute Joze is breaking my nose and I'm askin' her to move in with me the next I'm fawnin' over Olivia like its seven years ago and I'm still a pimply virgin tryin' to feel up anythin' with tits."

Dave grimaced slightly, "I dunno mate but you've got to make shit right somehow."

"Mind explainin' to me some of what Josie was talkin' about when she said she had to think?" Pete asked, wondering just what had really happened in that two hour time span where Dave had apparently offered himself up and Josie had (thank fuckin' God) rejected him.

Dave cringed slightly, "Well I saw her leave and followed her out. She wasn't exactly sober and I wanted to make sure she got home alright."

"Thank you," Pete slipped in quietly, thankful that Dave had at least been there on the walk home.

Dave waved a hand to brush off his thanks, "Streets aren't exactly safe for her to be wanderin'. Anyways…I saw her take off and I was worried 'bout her walking home alone so I followed her. She was crying when I caught up to her but you know Joze, she tried to act ok," Pete cringed at his words. Josie tended to attempt to act stronger than she actually was but it was stubbornly endearing to him.

Dave hesitated and Pete narrowed his eyes, "Continue," he ordered.

"Well we had some tea, chatted for about an hour, she started bawling then I may have mentioned how if she was my girlfriend I'd never make her cry," he said, trailing off awkwardly.

That was the last thing Dave remembered besides the sight of Pete's fist hurtling through the air directly into his face.

* * *

Josie leaned her head against the cool glass of the taxi window, staring out of the silent London streets as she whistled by them. She glanced at her watch to see it was just half past 11 and she felt her stomach roll when she thought about how, under normal circumstances, she'd be seated in Pete's lap feeling undeniably happy and secure. _Why is it all falling to shit now?_ She thought desperately, wondering what was going on with her once happy and carefree relationship.

_I mean, we've had fights before…there was the whole GSE secret one, then the shit with the fake run in planned by Bovver and now this._ Those were the only major fights they'd really had though, _not bad_ she thought contemplating life before Pete compared to now. The man could be utterly frustrating and pigheaded to say the least but she knew she'd rather fight with him any day of the week than be just slightly satisfied with someone else. There was no doubt in her mind that Pete was it, that stupid run-in at the museum changed her previous life path to one that ran parallel with Pete's.

Tonight though, _tonight_ was a wakeup call. Josie felt like they were hitting some kind of crossroads. The appearance of an old flame and Dave making a semi-play for her made her realize this. Cringing she thought back on the awkward chat with Dave that made her realize she really needed to get her thoughts straight about Pete and her relationship.

**Earlier that evening:**

Tears unwillingly streamed down Josie's face as she hurried towards her apartment, trying to get away from the Abbey as quickly as possible. Suddenly she heard footsteps behind her and someone shouting her name. She turned to see not the person she'd hoped for but instead was met with the sight of Dave running towards her. She tried to look happy to see him but failed miserably when she realized that Pete's best mate was more attentive to her feelings than he was.

"Hey Joze, I saw you runnin' out and I just wanted to make sure you got home alright," Dave said with a smile that Josie failed to return.

"Thanks Dave, you're too sweet. I'm sure I can make it home alright, why don't you head back to the pub?" she offered, preferring to be alone right now but didn't have the heart to flat out push him away.

"Nah, I'd rather avoid the present company there. Come on," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, "Let's get you home."

Josie stiffened slightly at his touch. She'd been noticing more and more how much attention Dave showered on her and it was bad news to say the least. Pete wasn't exactly the most understanding boyfriend when it came to her friendship with other guys (and that was the understatement of the year.)

They walked in silence as Josie bit down on the inside of her cheek, trying to stop the tears that continued to threaten. As they reached her door, Dave lingered awkwardly for a few moments until Josie finally invited him in.

"Want some tea?" she offered, wanting nothing more than to be alone and curled up with a full glass of whiskey while she waited for Pete. He had to come over, she told herself, he would notice she was gone in a few minutes then he'd be here, kissing her sweetly and calling himself a twat for being so insensitive.

But that didn't end up being the case; instead Josie made tea slowly and sat on the couch with Dave, chatting about random subjects as they both tried to avoid the proverbial elephant in the room.

After an hour of trying to fight the tears Josie finally broke down unable to stop herself from sobbing into Dave's shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly and she shut her eyes tight, trying to pretend it was Pete which only caused her to cry harder.

Silence reigned for a few minutes, broken only by her sobs when she finally pulled away from Dave, "Aw fuck Dave, I'm sorry; I'm sure this is the last way you wanted to be spending your Friday night: soaking shoulder due to a mate's blubbering girlfriend."

"Nah love, yer fine," Dave said reassuringly, rubbing her shoulder softly.

"Ugh," Josie sighed deeply, "I just wish he wasn't being sucha twat right now. Normally he's the jealous idiot and I'm the one reassuring him…I must say – I don't like it from the other side." She said, giving a weak laugh.

"Don't worry Joze, Pete's crazy about you…and hey, if that falls through I'd gladly step up. I'd never make you cry," Dave said, heart pounding as he gave a feeble offer of himself. Josie stared in shock at him, mouth open slightly, trying to determine if he was serious or not. Staring into his trusting brown eyes she realized _no, this wasn't a joke_, Dave would seriously take Pete's place should the opportunity arise.

She moved quickly off the couch, nearly falling in her haste to put space between them, not noticing how Dave's face fell and his shoulders sag, "I've got –. I just have to – . I mean – ," she started multiple times as she paced the small living room back and forth. _Fuck, fuck, fuck what do I do?_ As her mind whirled, thoughts bouncing through her head she finally realized she was stuck – Pete was it. She wanted him. Only him. Forever.

And that scared the ever loving crap out of her.

Josie felt her knees weaken at the thought. She'd always known she loved him but _marriage_? Leaving the States forever, her family, her entire life and dreams that she'd had for so many years? And worst of all now it begged the question of whether he even felt the same way.

"I've got to get out of here," she finally managed to articulate, "I just need to be away from you and from Pete and from all of this." She said, flailing her arms about frantically. Dave watched her, concern plainly written on his face and a hint of embarrassment in his eyes at the rejection.

"Uh," Dave started, "Ook, well where are you going to go? Not _home_, Joze?? – Pete'll lose it."

"No no," she waved a hand, "Too far – Emma…" she finally breathed out. Grabbing her phone she quickly dialed the only girlfriend she had in the world, praying she'd answer this late at night.

"Josieposey! Love, what's goin' on?" at the sound of her friend's voice she sighed in relief.

"Hey – Em," Josie started, feeling her vocal chords clench slightly, "What'ere you doin'?"

"Nothin Joze…you ok? You're not hurt or anything are you?" Emma's tone turned frantic. Knowing the world of the GSE she tended to leap to the worst conclusion. Josie had the familiar urge to roll her eyes that it seemed everyone thought she was a fragile doll.

"I'm fine…I just had a favor to ask," she turned away from Dave and lowered her voice slightly, "Can I come stay with you for a few days?" she blurted out.

Shocked silence met her until Emma finally answered, "Of course! Jesus Joze, what's goin' on? You and Pete have a spat?"

Tears welled in her eyes again and she just barely managed to croak out, "Yes – I'm coming over now, we'll talk then – k?"

"Course, see you in a bit," Emma said as Josie disconnected the call.

She turned to face Dave, "I just need a few days away…I'm sorry." Josie turned on her heel before walking quickly into her room to pack.

**Present**:

"Ere we are miss," the taxi driver shouted, breaking through her haze. Josie looked up startled to see Emma's imposing Kensington flat and she threw money at the driver before vaulting out of the vehicle, wanting nothing more than this night to be over.

She looked into the lobby to see Emma waiting for her, relieved at the sight of her blonde friend she practically ran into the building, throwing her arms around her, "Thank you so much Em, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Emma gave a dismissive wave, "Not a problem peach, let's get you upstairs, into some jammies and then you can explain all about why you look like death."

Josie gave a watery grin in response, allowing her friend to pull her upstairs. Praying silently to herself, she hoped the few days to clear her head wouldn't drive Pete into the arms of another woman. She felt nauseous at the thought, trying to push the negative thoughts from her mind while focusing on the future. The unknown, wary future.

* * *

**Thoughts? I hope it wasn't too disjointed and jumpy-aroundy, I'm still trying different things. Either way, let me know what you thought!**


	24. I Wanna Know How Forever Feels

**Ook, so this was a short wait for the next chapter & I know I should make you sweat it out a bit but I just loved writing this chapter and I'm on a roll, so I do hope you enjoy this.**

**Thank you to the following quick reviewers of last chapter: .DeViLz SpAwN., Twilighterheart xxxx, Little Miss Bovver, FairySkull, CullensThePackAndMeLove, and Niffer01. You guys have no idea how much your feedback means to me & I can't thank you enough!**

* * *

Pete stared up at the Imperial War museum, sighing in frustration as he rubbed a hand through his hair. He hadn't heard from Josie in the past 48 hours and it was killing him. He had no idea where Emma lived except that it was a posh flat – that was all Josie had ever said about it. He'd called and texted multiple times but received nothing in return. Josie was terrible at ignoring him so it caused a terrible panic in his very bones that she was managing to stay away so well.

His only option was to find her at work. He paced the walkway, wondering if he should go in or wait to approach her on the way out. _There's no guarantee she's even here_, a voice grumbled in his head and he knew that was true: her hours weren't set in stone anymore so it was a shot in the dark she'd be here. Finally deciding to chance his luck that she was inside he took the steps two at a time, stopping abruptly at the top at the sight of the blonde girl, standing just through the doors.

Emma locked eyes with him and they narrowed ever so slightly at the sight of him. She hurried through the door, "What are you doing here?" she hissed.

Pete stepped back awkwardly, "I need to talk to her, _please_." He begged, knowing that Emma must be aware of his behavior that had caused Josie to leave in the first place. His face twisted in agony and Emma's face softened slightly.

"I wish I could help but you know how stubborn she is. She's just scared, give her time." Emma reached a hand out, grasping his shoulder lightly, "Trust me, she'll come back."

He stared into the light blue eyes that were full of concern, "Promise?" he asked pathetically.

Emma chuckled lightly, "I promise. You two idiots were born for each other, she'll break down soon." She glanced at her watch, "Now you should get out of here, she's supposed to be meeting me in about three minutes."

Impulsively Pete leaned down, pecking Emma on the cheek, "Thank you – give 'er a nudge back to me, yeah?"

Emma smiled up at him, "You got it, now _go_."

Pete turned on his heel, hurrying back to his car. He trusted Emma for the sole reason that Josie trusted her. If she said that Joze would come back to him, he had to believe her. He got into his car, resting his head on the steering wheel as he tried to collect his thoughts. After a few minutes his phone rang and he rifled through his pocket to grab it.

"Aye aye?" he answered reluctantly.

"Hey Pete," Matt said happily, "What's goin' on?"

Pete cringed, even the sound of another Yankee accent made his heart hurt, "Nothin' bruv, 'ow are we?"

"Fancy a pint? Haven't seen you around the past few days." Pete nodded, realizing that Matt had been absent for that terrible night at the Abbey and that he hadn't been back since.

"Erm, I'm not up for it tonight – sorry mate," though he really wasn't. The last thing he wanted was a potential run in with Dave and/or Olivia now that she was back on a permanent basis, "I'll see you tomorrow for the post-draw session though."

Pete knew there was no way he could skip tomorrow night as much as he wished he could. All he wanted was to sit alone waiting for Josie to come back to him, "Sounds good – see ya." Matt disconnected the call and Pete finally started up his car to return back to his flat praying that maybe tonight Josie would be done her thinking and come home.

Everything was such a fuckin' mess: Josie wasn't speaking to him, he wasn't speaking to Dave, the GSE was falling apart and Pete found he didn't quite care in light of losing the love of his life. Pete was amazed at the fact that he could go from the high of having Josie agree to live with him to the low of possibly having their relationship end all within a few short hours.

He felt like it was a struggle just to get out of bed without waking up next to her. Both the time when she'd left for three weeks when her Dad was sick and the two weeks they'd been broken up made Pete realize that he'd slowly built his life around Josie, his happiness was inextricably intertwined with her very being. She was it, he couldn't live without her.

Pete thought back on when her family had been here for Christmas and he'd first had the vision of Josie walking towards him in a white dress, their families and the boys surrounding them as they promised to be together forever. The more he'd thought about it, the more he wanted that to be his future. He'd even gone so far as to ask her father and brothers for permission to marry her. Then he'd bought a ring shortly after that which now sat in his bedside table, waiting for the right moment.

_Fuck me, what have I done? I've driven away the best thing in my life,_ he thought as he sped towards his flat, praying that he'd get the chance to actually give her that ring one day.

* * *

Josie snuggled up against the warm body, smiling slightly in her sleep at the sight of clear blue eyes and the shaved blonde head. Squeezing tight to Pete she frowned slightly, _Hmm – weird he's become soft and feminine like_.

"Jesus Christ, Josie, not again!" the loud shout startled her awake and she saw to her embarrassment she'd been cuddled up against Emma rather than Pete. Her face turned bright red as Emma glared at her due to the rude awakening and at 3 o'clock in the morning no less.

"I'm sorry," she cried, "I'm just so used to sleeping with Pete."

"Ugh," Emma gave a disgruntled snort at the early time as she snapped the bedside light on, "So stop being a big baby and go back to him. I could deal with sharing a king sized bed with you if you'd just stay on your side. But nooo, lover-lady has to snuggle. And it's all night too, don't you need space of your own?"

Josie moved way over to the other side of the bed, hanging her head in shame. She'd been staying at Emma's for the past few days and each morning they'd go through this where they'd wake up and Josie would be practically on top of Emma dreaming that she was with Pete.

"I really am sorry but I'm still too chicken-shit to talk to him. What if he rejects me?" Josie asked helplessly.

Emma fought the urge to smack her friend in the face as she rolled her eyes, "You. Are. An. Idiot. Pete would throw himself in front of a bus if you told him you'd think it was funny, he loves you, he'll always want you – you're quite fit, you know?"

Josie hit Emma lightly, "I'll grow old and ugly and he'll trade up for some young hussy."

"Oh my God, you're infuriating," Emma said in frustration, "Just talk to him please. He made a mistake by chatting up an ex then by having a go at you for your friendship with Dave but I guarantee he regrets it. Just, just _talk_ to him," she begged.

Josie's eyes narrowed with suspicion, "You sound mighty sure he's sorry – you haven't talked to him, have you?" Emma averted her eyes away from the intense stare Josie was giving her and as it was too early in the morning to come up with a decent lie, Josie cried out in horror, "Traitor! You talked to him? What did you say? More importantly, what did _he_ say?"

"Argh, you're sucha brat," she groaned but continued nonetheless, "He came by the museum, looking for you of course and it was lucky I ran into him first, who knows what you would have said – that insane temper of yours surely would have come out." Josie rolled her eyes but kept her mouth shut, too eager to hear what had happened, "Anyways he was practically begging for any information about what was going on in that silly head of yours."

"And what did you say?" Josie asked desperately.

"Nothing. I didn't tell him how you decided you wanted to be his wife even though he's never asked," Josie felt a stab of pain at her heart and Emma flushed at the look on her face, "I'm sorry Joze that was cruel. But I really didn't say anything – I told him you'd go to him when you were ready. I still don't get why you think he'll reject you, he looked so anguished and in pain after just two days without you. He's so in love with you it's a bit unhealthy."

"I dunno Em," she whispered in a soft voice, "You didn't see him with that blonde wench, I've never felt so ridiculously jealous in my life."

"Well," Emma gave a casual shrug, "Now you know how Pete feels when he sees you with Dave, the boys and pretty much every other man that's laid eyes on you. Puts his jealousy in to perspective, doesn't it love?"

"I hate you," Josie said, crossing her arms across her chest, "But I suppose you do have a point, I never thought about how he felt when he was in the all macho, possessive boyfriend mode – I just thought he was being a pain in the ass."

"Well now you know. Now I am begging you Joze, talk to him. You're both so stubborn but you need each other. Fuck you've no idea how lucky you are," Emma mumbled almost to herself.

"What do you mean?" Josie asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

Emma sighed, "Joze you've found your match, the man that's absolutely perfect for you, that would do anything for you. Your life is like some plot from a movie. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous – I date men for their status and it's shallow and miserable. I'd give anything to have what you have."

Josie flushed red, never realizing that Emma of all people with her money and stature would ever want something she had, "I'm sorry Em, I've been a fool – a selfish prat to not even think about how you're feeling when I'm going through these drama fits."

"Oh stop," Emma said as she brushed a tear from her eye, chalking up how emotional she was to the early hour, "You're one of the lucky ones; I'm sure my perfect guy is out there somewhere."

The two of them laid there in silence and Josie bit her lip in deep thought, thinking over everything they'd talked about and everything she'd thought of over the past few days. Without Pete in her life to talk to constantly or hug or kiss she felt off and just not herself.

An overwhelming need to feel Pete's arms around her and to be sleeping in his bed caused her to leap from the Emma's, "Ok," she said, making a snap decision, "I have to talk to him _now_."

Digging through her overnight bag she pulled on a pair of jeans, throwing a sweatshirt on over her as she ignored the shocked look on Emma's face, "Love, its three in the morning – don't you think you should wait?"

"I can't," she replied truthfully. She couldn't stand the waiting and not knowing what Pete was thinking. She just wanted to either get on with moving forward with their relationship or have it end now but regardless of which way it panned out she couldn't take the anxiety anymore or the pressure she was putting on her friend.

Emma blew a puff of air out before getting up and rifling through her bag. She threw a set of keys at Josie who looked surprised when they hit her and fell to the ground, "Take my car idiot – Pete would kill me if I let you take the tube at three AM just to talk to him."

Josie crossed the room and pulled Emma into a hug, "Thank you," she said softly, "For everything. I don't think I tell you enough how much I appreciate you. You're the only girl that's ever been able to stand me."

Emma snorted, "I doubt that, you're just not girly enough and were probably quite stuck up but for most part I do love you. Who'dve thought the English rose would be best mates with the uncouth Yank?" she asked jokingly, "I know you're off work tomorrow for finals so call when you can and let me know how it goes."

"I will," Josie promised before gathering all of her belongings and walking quickly out of the flat. She was suddenly wide awake and eager to get to Pete's as quickly as possible. Reaching Emma's car she slid behind the wheel, speeding into the dark streets anxious to reach him.

* * *

3:01. 3:11. 3:33.

Pete continued to stare at the clock, watching the numbers change, willing himself to fall asleep. He rolled over carefully, avoiding the wide open space in his double bed as he punched his pillow into a more comfortable shape. As he lay there, wide awake, he touched the empty space, trying to envision Josie lying in it rather than who knows where she was sleeping. He shut his eyes, flipping through the memories of her in his head, smiling to himself slightly at how happy they had been and how beautiful she was and wondering when in the hell she would come back to him. Emma had said she would but he was impatient, wanting her back now.

His memories were so vivid the scent of apples assaulted him and he could almost feel her slight weight on the opposite side of the bed, he could even hear her voice whispering, "Pete. _Pete_."

"Ouch!" the sharp finger poke into his side caused his eyes to snap open and to his shock Josie was seated Indian-style on her side of the bed, wearing an amused smirk at his astonishment.

"I thought I'd have to shake you awake, ya lazy bum," she joked lightly while Pete stared at her warily, trying to figure out if he'd finally lost in and was hallucinating due to exhaustion. He reached a hand out slowly, drinking in the sight of her in case she was a mirage and would disappear when he tried to touch her. He touched her hand softly and taking that as all the confirmation he needed that she was real he dragged her into his body, hugging her tight and burying his face in her hair, breathing in deeply. Josie wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself flush against him and placing a tentative, soft kiss to his neck.

"Josie," he breathed into her hair, kissing the crown of her head softly before relaxing his grip but keeping his arms locked around her, "Fuck babe, please don't leave me ever _ever _again," he begged, kissing her forehead tenderly as he spoke, "I'm sorry I was sucha twat."

"I'm sorry too Pete, for running out like I did." She whispered softly, "I just had to think a bit."

He felt his breath catch in his throat. So this was it. Four in the morning and she was finally ready to talk, "About what?" he asked in a strangled voice.

"Us," she replied simply, "How I'm an idiot that can't live without you and I had to come to terms with that before making sure you even wanted me."

Pete sat there shocked at her words, he'd fully expected her to say she wanted no part of this life anymore and that she thought it should be over and it was best they break up. He opened his mouth to respond but stopped when she placed a finger to his lips to shush him.

"Wait – just let me get this out." She drew in a deep breath, before locking eyes with him. Pete sat across from her on the bed, holding her hands in his while his heart pounded in his chest as he stared into her brown eyes waiting for her to start, "So, here's the thing: I've known I loved you probably since our first date at Pizza Hut and I had the violent urge to smash the waitress's face in when she was desperately throwing herself at you."

Pete chuckled at the memory, smiling softly since whatever she'd decided seemed to be a good thing for them, "I think I just never understood the full scope of just what you've done to me."

"And just what have I done to you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

Josie rolled her eyes and the sight was so heart achingly familiar Pete thought he was going to cry with joy that she was sitting in front of him, "Didn't I tell you to shush while I get this out?" she wagged a finger at him before continuing, "What I mean is I found out that you're it. I can live without being in the States, I can live without seeing my family all the time, I could even think about living without cheese but I can't live without you."

Pete felt his eyes water as he stared back at her feeling happier than he'd ever felt, "That would've been _Notebook_- esque if you didn't mention your obsession with cheese. But that's alright by me cause I've told you before: nothing in my life except being with you makes sense."

Josie let out the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. She'd tossed and turned for hours over the past week and finally, in the middle of the night she realized she wanted Pete forever, she could deal with giving everything else up as long as she was with him. And once she'd determined that she decided he had to know immediately.

"And I finally know how you feel too…ya know, the whole insane, all consuming jealousy bit you do?" she smirked at him as he narrowed his eyes slightly but allowed her to continue anyway, "So I guess seeing you with blondie made me sorta realize how you feel whenever you see me with any of the boys or guys from school and I know it's just cause you love me crazily just like I love you." She gave a casual shrug as she finished explaining all that she'd figured out.

"I see," Pete said back slowly as her words sunk in.

"So you love me?" she asked, tilting her head to the side and Pete grinned at her, pulling her into his arms before kissing her lips softly.

"I love you," he whispered. As he stared down at her, tracing her jaw line lovingly, stroking her soft, pale skin, smiling at the dusting of freckles across her nose and the way she shuddered under his touch. He leaned forward, kissing her lips softly as he thought carefully before continuing, knowing it was finally the right time to ask what he'd been thinking about for months, "And I want you to marry me."

Josie felt her heart stutter to a stop before restarting frantically in her chest as Pete rolled her under him and laid her carefully onto the bed. He reached into his bedside drawer and Josie saw him remove a small, black box from its depths, "I've had this fer ages and this isn't how I planned it but when has anything with us ever gone smoothly?"

He got off the bed and knelt on one knee in front of her, "I wasn't lookin' for you but that day almost a year ago, I found you and you've made me realize that I never knew happiness before you. I can't live without ya Joze – marry me," he whispered the last words, almost pleading with her as he held up a ring. Pete felt his blood thundering as he stared at her, waiting for to answer and praying with all his might that it'd be a yes.

Josie's eyes welled with tears and she stared back and forth speechlessly between the ring in his hand and the clear blue eyes waiting for her response. Finally realizing this was actually happening she leapt off the bed, tackling him to the floor and showering his face with kisses while saying 'yes' over and over again.

Pete lay flat on his back on the floor with the wind knocked out of him by the force of her body, reveling in the feel of her lips on his face, shocked she'd said yes. Finally, he seemed to realize the magnitude of what had just happened and leaned up to capture her lips with his, kissing her deeply as she moaned softly into his kiss. He eventually pulled away, leaving both of them breathless, "I can't believe you had a ring," she said in wonder, nuzzling her nose against his as she straddled his waist.

"Had it since the end of December, right after I met yer family," he replied as he rolled her over carefully before lifting her up and placing her on the bed. He smirked down at the look of shock on her face as he began slowly removing her clothes.

"December?" she asked, her voice hitching as he inched her jeans down her legs.

"Yep – and don't worry: I did it all proper and shit, asked yer Dad _and_ brothers for permission," he grinned down at her bare legs before pulling her forward so he could pull off her t-shirt, stealing another kiss in the process.

"You've certainly got a way with words babe, 'proper and shit'?" she questioned, arching an eyebrow but unable to stop the foolish grin that painted her face.

Pete returned her smile that neared face splitting when he pulled her shirt off and realized in her haste to get here she didn't put a bra on. He leaned forward to kiss his favorite freckle softly, "Mm, I missed you. Now you really are mine forever," he kissed his way up her collarbone, sucking lightly at the base of her neck smirking when she moaned softly.

Josie pulled Pete's shirt off, running her hands down his back, "Forever with you sounds perfect to me. I can't believe you actually want me to be your wife." She said in disbelief, arching her back when he moved down her body, kissing his way along her naked skin.

"_My wife_," he breathed out reverently, "I can't believe you actually want to marry me."

She wagged her left hand that now held a simple, elegant platinum band with a tastefully sized diamond. Loving the weight on her finger, she ran her hands through his hair lightly, "Well you're stuck now babe, no take backsies."

"You'll be lucky if I ever let you outta this bed, let alone ever remove that ring," Pete said seriously as he made his way back up her body to capture her lips again, kissing her deeply. He cradled her face in his hands, stroking the soft skin at the base of her neck as she smiled into his kiss. Keeping his lips locked with hers he pushed her back slowly onto the bed, breath hitching in his throat as he felt her bare legs wrap around his waist, pulling her body as close to his as possible.

"Fuck I missed you," Pete whispered resting his forehead against hers, his breathing labored at the feel of her under him.

Josie smiled up at him, "Well good – get used to me, I'm not going anywhere," she kissed him passionately, dragging her nails along his bare back lightly. Pete rolled them over, placing her on top and she kissed her way down his chest before snaking her hands into his boxers, stroking him softly. She inched his boxers off slowly as she grinned devilishly at him, kissing the tip so lightly he may have imagined it. He was painfully hard for her and she seemed to be choosing the worst time to tease him as he felt her hard nipples brush against him.

"Tease," he managed to choke out causing Josie to giggle lightly as she finally made her way back up to him she kissed him roughly before lowering herself onto him. He stared up at her, groaning in pleasure as he watched her eyes close with the intensity of their meeting.

They made love slowly and more passionately than they'd ever done before. Hours past before Josie finally collapsed onto Pete's bare chest, trying to catch her breath as she traced his West Ham crest lightly with her pinky. He snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her tight to him and kissing her head softly, "I forgot just how intoxicating you are future Mrs. Dunham," he whispered into her ear with a grin, "and exhausting."

Josie smirked up at him as she snuggled into the crook, placing her left hand on his chest and watching the early morning sunlight sparkle off her ring, "Mmm, you sound like you have a bit of a spring cold, you should call-out of work and spend the day getting bed rest," she wagged her eyebrows at him suggestively.

He tickled her side lightly, debating if he'd be able to get away with missing work when he remembered what today was, "I wish I could love – but I promised the boys we could watch the draw in class today and the twats that fill in would never let 'em."

"Engagement sex all day versus football with football winning? Sounds about right for us," she mumbled, trying to sound disgruntled but the smile that hadn't left her face gave away her true feelings.

"Oi don't be a tart, if I 'adn't promised the boys I'd skip in a heartbeat," he kissed her shoulder lightly.

"I know, it's very admirable of you to think of the boys like that," Josie said truthfully as she tried to fight the exhaustion that was threatening to overcome her. She gave a huge yawn, "I'm sleeeepy."

Pete tilted her face up for a goodnight (well, good morning) kiss, "Not my fault you waited until four in the mornin' for a serious conversation," she rolled her eyes at him but returned his kiss eagerly nonetheless.

"Not my fault you decided to propose at four in the mornin'," she mocked him slightly before kissing him again.

They lay in silence for a few minutes, both starting to drift off into sleep when the blaring sound of Pete's alarm clock startled them wide awake, "Fuck," he groaned, slamming his hand down on the snooze button, "Gunna be a long day but so amazingly worth it." He pressed his lips to hers again, rolling onto her still naked body and feeling himself grow hard again.

"Seee, your body says you want to stay with me instead of being with ten year old boys," she said, making a face when she realized how creepy that came out.

Pete snorted, the moment ruined as he kissed her shoulder lightly before rolling out of bed, "You workin' tonight?" he asked as he searched for a clean outfit to wear to work.

Josie pulled a face, "Ugh no, I have finals at school so I'll be in the library all night." She held her hand up, watching the diamond sparkle, "So not fair – I wanted you to ravish me," she pouted.

Pete grinned as he stopped getting ready and walked back to the bed to lean down to kiss her, "We've got all our lives for me to ravish you, promise." He ran his hands through her tangled hair, "Fuck I wish I could stay with you right now though," he whined.

Josie smirked, pushing him away with her foot, "We've got all the time in the world. Now go get ready before I tie you down and make you stay."

He leaned back over the bed again, pressing a kiss to her lips then kissing up her jaw before whispering, "I love you. Afternoon session before studying?" he asked desperately, needing to have her again.

"Course, now go – I'll be here waiting, wearing the exact same thing I am now." He smirked down at her, giving her one final kiss before striding into the bathroom to get ready for a long day. The only thing that would get him through it would be the thought of what would soon be a reality: Josie walking down the aisle in a white dress to become his wife. She was officially his.

* * *

**Thoughts? **


	25. How Long is Forever?

**I'm getting so good with quick updates! I wanted to get this out since I'll be bogged down with two papers for a week or so that will delay any new update for a bit.**

**I enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you enjoy reading it. Bits of the movie are thrown in but there's also a mix of my own stuff with the dialogue. **

**As always thank you thank you thank you to my reviewers, I just can't ever explain how much I appreciate it. Keep it up & enjoy :)**

* * *

Paddy wheeled the TV into Pete's classroom as his boys attempted to find a seat. Pete waited with a grin on his face as everyone got settled in. Glancing at his watch he saw the draw was set to start in a few minutes, "Oi mate, what's with the silly grin on yer face?" Paddy asked curiously. He'd noticed Pete's attitude was a complete 180 from the day before when he'd been sullen and miserable due to some row he'd been having with Josie.

"You'll find out in a minute," Pete replied mysteriously, "Alright lads!" he shouted, the classroom immediately falling silent as he clapped his hands for attention, "Settle in – draw starts in five minutes but first I've got some news."

Pete took a deep breath as he looked out at the expectant faces, "You lot remember Ms Murphy, do ya?"

"Sure we do," Paddy cried out, "She's fit as fu – , erm a lovely lady," he backtracked when he caught the glare Pete was throwing at him as well as realized they were the company of 40 ten year olds.

"Well unfortunately Ms Murphy won't be around much longer," the collected group groaned in distress, Paddy's face flashing with concern that Pete was so blasé about losing Josie, "Because she'll soon be Mrs. Dunham instead."

Paddy's jaw dropped in shock and the rest of the boys stared up at Pete in confusion until he clarified, "Cause Ms Murphy agreed to marry me." The loud whoop of joy that followed was deafening and Paddy leapt to his feet to hug him tightly.

"You cheeky slag, how you managed to pull a girl like Josie is beyond me but congratulations you lucky lucky bloke," Paddy mumbled to him and Pete smacked him away, still unable to fight the grin he'd worn since that morning.

"Right then – football time!" he shouted as he flipped on the TV as the boys gave another shout of excitement. He fielded congratulations from his boys, laughing as some of them wore faces of disbelief. He rolled his eyes when he realized even ten year olds thought she was too good for him.

Pete settled in between two of the boys and shushed them slightly once the draw started. He was anxious on the one hand to hear who West Ham would play and on the other he was desperate for the day to be over so he could get back to Josie.

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Quarterfinal Draw for the Football Association Cup," the host began and any remaining chatter died out, "The oldest and most prestigious tournament in World Cup Football. Fortunately, today we have with us the West Ham legend, Mr. Frank McAvennie and chairman for our sponsors, Mr. Phil Peters."

Pete rocked back and forth on his feet, nervously awaiting the start and the boys shifted about in anticipation, "As usual, the home team will be drawn first. Frank," the host gestured and so it began. "Number two. Number two. Cardiff City, will play number three, Liverpool."

One of the boys next to him shouted, "Yes!" with a fist pump and Pete shushed him into silence as they listened to them continue pulling numbers.

"Number eight. Number eight, West Ham United," Pete rubbed his hands together eagerly whispering _come on, come on_ hoping for a good match, "…will play number five, Millwall."

"Fucking yes," he shouted, leaping onto his feet in excitement as the boys jumped up and down with joy around him.

_A Millwall matchup and Josie agreeing to be my wife all in one day?_ He thought gleefully, _could this day get any better?  
_

* * *

Josie sat cuddled up on Pete's couch, trying to type out a paper but barely able to concentrate whenever she caught sight of the ring on her left hand. She'd slept for a few hours before calling her dad and brothers who were overwhelmingly happy that Pete had finally asked her and that she'd agreed. She'd been shocked they were so pleased, not realizing just how much they had liked and accepted her relationship with Pete especially since marriage meant a permanent residence in England.

She'd spent nearly an hour on the phone with Emma who had immediately shot-gunned maid of honor and began planning the wedding immediately which caused Josie's head to spin at the realization of just what it took to plan one of these things. With a pang in her heart she thought about how nice it would be to have a mother in her life at a time like this. She sat lost in thought over the past as well as daydreaming about her future, envisioning years and years of happiness.

Suddenly she was swept up into a hug, her computer nearly crashing to the ground but thankfully landing on the soft couch as Swill hugged her tight, "Yer gunna be a Dunham and stay with us forever," he shouted happily, twirling her around in excitement.

"Swill you've gotta let me breath," she managed to squeak out through his vice-like hug.

"Whoops," he said sheepishly as he dropped her to the ground, "I just couldn't believe it till I saw the ring on yer finger."

"Yeah, congrats Joze," Ike, who she'd only just noticed, told her as he pulled her into a hug, "Welcome to the family."

Josie grinned back at him, "Thanks boys. What are you lot doin' here anyways? Starting the weekend a bit early?"

The two of them smiled back at her, "Eh sort of – Petey sent out a text to let us know he'd asked you and I snuck out early to see you, ran into Ike doin' the same thing." Swill told her, "Cheeky slag that Dunham is, now I haven't a shot in hell of stealin' you from 'im with that rock on yer finger."

Swill pulled her into his side, mussing her hair up playfully, "You workin' the draw night tonight?" Ike asked her.

"Nah, too much school work to finish, though if it gets bad Terry might call me in," Josie said, hoping that wouldn't end up being the case.

"Oi – unhand my fiancé," a familiar voice shouted from the doorway and Josie wiggled free from Swill's grip, a battalion of butterflies dancing in her stomach at what he'd called her. She danced over to him, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly.

As she broke the kiss, Pete kept his arms locked around her swinging her off her feet as he walked forward, carrying her carefully, "Bugger off – I'll see you lot at the pub." He said gruffly after he dropped Josie easily to the ground in order to shoo Swill and Ike out of his flat. They both shouted happy goodbyes and more congratulations at the couple while Pete slammed the door with a resounding click before turning to face her.

"Bit rude, dontcha think?" she asked with a smirk as he look her up and down with desire, crossing the small room in three steps, placing a hand behind her neck and kissing her deeply.

"Sorry," he said with no remorse whatsoever, "I needed to pick up where we left off this mornin' and what I plan on doing to you does not require an audience. I never should've left you alone all day." He whispered into her ear as he threw her over his shoulder easily, carrying her into the bedroom.

Josie squealed slightly, "Animal," she said with a laugh when he threw her onto the bed before crawling onto her body slowly. He gazed at her bare legs and ran a hand up the length of them, slipping his hand under her sweatshirt and running a calloused hand along the smooth skin of her flat stomach.

He swiftly removed the pair of his boxers she'd been wearing and pulled off her sweatshirt and t-shirt in one fluid motion, "God help me, I am so in love you." Pete said as she pulled on his tie to bring him closer.

"Mm and I love you," Josie mumbled into his lips as he kissed her again, groaning slightly as she removed his clothes quickly.

Pete covered her body with his, moaning at the feel of her naked skin under him as he entered her swiftly. She arched her back throwing her head back in pleasure while giving Pete access to her neck as he leaned down to nibble her soft skin lightly. He groaned into her skin, biting her shoulder roughly as she locked her legs around him, pulling him deeper into her. He moved furiously in and out of her, feeling himself approaching the edge as she whimpered under him. Finally she clenched around him, finishing with a scream and Pete followed shortly after, collapsing onto her in happy exhaustion.

"How's that for ravishing?" he smirked down at her, eyes still dark with lust as he stared at her. He kissed her nose lightly, moving his lips across her face while she tried to get her breathing under control.

"Perfect," she mumbled as she kissed his jaw softly, "I wish we could stay in our own little world like this forever."

Pete smoothed her hair away from her face, staring awestruck at her beauty, "Me too baby. I'll make you a deal – leave now, finish up yer paper and I'll just pop down to the Abbey for a few pints and by ten we meet back 'ere?" he asked hopefully, leaning down to place a few kisses on her bare shoulder, linking his fingers with hers as he played with her engagement ring, grinning into her skin.

Josie thought about it for half a second, "Deal," she stated happily sealing it with a searing kiss before extracting herself out from under him. She dressed hurriedly, periodically throwing glances at the bed where Pete lay – still naked – fighting the urge to jump back onto him while he stared at her with hooded eyes that made her legs feel like jelly.

Finally dressed, she twirled around and walked back to the bed, "Bye baby, love you and see you in exactly six hours," she said, kissing him as she tapped her watch.

"Love you too – forever," he promised as he reluctantly let her walk out of the room.

He laid back in the bed, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow, the scent of apples still lingering. Pete smiled at the familiar smell that was Josie and sighed as he caught sight of the clock. He dragged himself out of his bed, switching on the shower as he got ready slowly for the night ahead. As much as he was looking forward to the celebration of the pending match he struggled against the urge to just skip it and sit in the library with Josie until she was finished her work. This came as a shock to him as he never thought he'd see the day that anything or anyone would come before the GSE or football.

As the hot water streamed over his body, he envisioned his future with her, dreaming about the life they'd have together. Pete smiled in anticipation of what lay ahead of them. He was so relieved to know that he no longer had to worry about her moving home or fret incessantly about losing her. As he dreamed of a white dress and his favorite brown eyes he moved on autopilot climbing out of the shower and wrapping a towel around his waist.

The sudden pounding on the door of his flat broke him out of his happy haze, "Oi, 'ang on!" he shouted, striding out of his bedroom. He grabbed a stray sweater that lay on the back of a chair, pulling it on as he walked towards the door. Throwing it open he was surprised to see Bovver, Keith and Ned on his doorstep.

"All right boys? What you doing 'ere?" he asked suspiciously at the grim faces that stared back at him.

"The Yank 'ere?" Bovver spat in question.

"Which one in particular?" Pete asked, wondering if he was going to have to deal with shit from Bovver for proposing to Josie.

"Matt," Bovver replied shortly.

"No, he's – " he went to respond but was rudely cutoff as Bovver went to shove his way into his flat.

Bovver's face twisted in disgust when Pete blocked his way, "He's a fucking undercover journo."

The words hit Pete like a slap to the face, "What?" he questioned angrily, "Nah, bollocks."

"No, it's straight, mate." Ned answered, "I seen 'im down at the Times walking out; shaking hands, proper pally. What's that all about?" he asked and Keith nodded his head in agreement.

Bovver continued to glare at him icily, "Think about it. Drops in out of nowhere, never been in a scrap in his life. Snugs in nice and tight with a top boy at a firm," he said with a disdainful snort, "For fuck's sake, Pete – what else was he doing at the Times?"

Seeds of doubt sprung up in his mind but Pete shook his head, "No, that means fuck all." He said, convinced that there was no way Matt would fuck them over like that, he was practically family, "Could've been any one of a hundred reasons he was down there."

"This time I'd like to make sure of that myself," he said, moving to shove past him again.

Pete slammed his hand against the door frame, blocking his entrance as he glared down at his friend, "You sure of this, Bov? 'Cause if you're coming in 'ere like this, you fucking well better be."

"Yeah," Bovver said gruffly, shoving into his flat as Ned and Keith followed his lead. Pete glared at the three as they strode into his place.

"What? This his, is it?" Bovver asked, grabbing at Matt's backpack that sat on the couch he usually slept on.

"Yeah," Pete replied roughly, picking up a paper that Bovver threw at him. Glancing at the title "Death in a Paris Tunnel: the New Role of Journalism in the Paparazzi Era" he felt his blood begin to boil, _what's a history major doin' writin' about modern day journalism?_

"What the fuck is this?" Bovver asked as he extracted a laptop from the bag, "Ere, Keith, you know about all this computer stuff. Have a look."

Keith took the laptop, switching it on and Pete walked over to stare over his shoulder. His heart nearly stopped when he saw the folder marked 'journal' and Keith opened it quickly, "What's this?"

"Fucking cunt," Bovver grumbled at the sight as a document opened with the title _First match: West Ham v. Birmingham. Home_. "'_Pete brought me to the Brigid Abbey Pub on Walsh Road, his main hangout and introduced me to his gang_,' Oh, look," Bovver said bitterly, "we're a fucking gang now. Make it go up." He demanded at Keith, who scrolled further down the page and he continued reading, "_'Bovver is Pete's thuggish right hand man. Keith is sort of Bovver's enforcer._' You happy now?" he spun around on Pete, "We're all in there."

Pete snatched at the computer, scrolling further down the pages seeing red when he saw another paragraph '_I met Pete's girlfriend Josie today. A fellow American as well as the most gorgeous girl I've met in real life. All the boys adore her (with the exception of Bovver) and Pete goes from vicious fighter to love struck puppy dog at the very sight of her. Pete's a great guy but I do wonder what she sees in him as he's a bit rough around the edges and she seems to be many leagues above the GSE._'

His blood turned to ice as he continued to read more parts that mentioned Josie and her relationship with him and the boys, "Wait here. I'll put some clothes on."

Storming into his room, he pulled off his towel and threw on a pair of jeans quickly, his face hot with rage. _The fuckin' nerve of that kid, open my home to him, let him into my life and he goes and jots it all down. And to involve Josie_…His thoughts jumbled about angrily in his head while he stormed out of his room, zipping his sweatshirt up and beckoning the boys to follow him.

As Pete thundered down the street towards the Abbey angrily, he was thankful only for the fact that Josie wasn't working tonight as she wouldn't see the kind of man he was about to turn into. There was no way some outsider – part family or not – was going to endanger the GSE or even come close to involving Josie in any way that might harm her – he was going to make damn sure of that.

* * *

Josie tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the tube to arrive so she could get to the library, finish her paper and get back to Pete. Just as the tinny mechanical voice announced the arrival of the train she heard her phone ringing. Pulling it out of her bag she sighed deeply to see Terry's name flashing. Initially she debated ignoring the call but thought better of it, "Hi Terr – what's up?"

The background noise of the Abbey was deafening and Josie held the receiver a few inches from her ear when Terry started to shout, "Hi Joze – I am so sorry to do this to you but please _please_ could you come in for a bit? This place is a mob scene and that new bloke I hired skived out on his first night."

Josie's first feeling was one of aggravation but the frantic tone of Terry's usually calm voice softened her attitude, "Never trust a football fan to work a big pub night. You're lucky I love you so I'll be there in about five minutes."

"You're a star Joze, thanks love – see you in a bit." He shouted in reply before disconnecting the call as she heard more drink orders shouted in the background. She turned on her heel and hurried up the steps and out into the street, _so much for studying_, she thought with the only silver lining being the fact that Pete would be there as well.

She made it to the Abbey in record time and as she shoved through the door she was amazed at the amount of people packed in. She'd seen match day madness but it seemed everyone in town was out tonight. She weaved her way through the crowd, pausing for a minute to chat with Swill and Ike who offered further congratulations, begging to buy her a drink that she had to regrettfully decline.

Dave stood next to them awkwardly, seeming to not be sure of how to act around her. His face turned bright red as he caught her eye, "Sorry Joze – 'ow are we?" he asked half-heartedly.

Josie grinned back at him, ignoring the minor feeling of discomfort as she reminded herself that despite the awkward encounter a few days ago Dave was still her friend, "Good. And don't be an idiot, you have nothin' to be sorry for. Pete and I are fine and you are still my favorite pilot friend."

Dave grinned back at her, "Only pilot friend. And congratulations," he said softly as his eyes flicked down at the ring on her finger, "Glad we'll be stuck with you forever."

She punched his shoulder lightly, "You mean you're lucky to be stuck with me. Eek, I should get behind the bar," she said as the noticed the line and that Terry wasn't even back there, just one of the other guys that worked part-time.

Confused at the sight of the Terry-less bar she quickly walked down the length of the bar and was surprised to see Terry seated at the GSE's usual table with Matt and shock of all shocks – Steve, who as far as she knew had never set foot in the Abbey since he'd married Shannon. Pete had given her the short version of Steve's involvement as the Major and she felt nervous to see him here, wondering what was going on.

"Hi Terr – back-ups here," she interrupted the serious looking chat. All three looked up at her startled but when they realized it was her identical grins broke out as they noticed the ring on her finger. Steve leapt out of his chair and hugged her tight, "Welcome to the family," he whispered in her ear and Josie smiled back at him.

"Thanks bruv," she replied as they all laughed slightly, "I'll leave you lot alone for now since the bar seems a bit shorthanded," she said, giving a pointed look at Terry who averted his eyes.

"Just playin' catch up, I'll join you a bit," Terry said, slightly apologetically at calling her in then sitting and enjoying a pint.

Josie waved a dismissive hand, "Take your time." She turned and ducked under the bar, immediately being bombarded with drink orders.

Through the rush of customers she attempted to look around the room to see if Pete had arrived yet but had no luck spotting him. About a half hour later, the queue had shortened and she stood chatting with the other bartender that was working that night. Suddenly, the room went deadly silent as a scuffle broke out at the other end of the bar. Josie's eyes shot in the direction of the noise and she rushed to the end of the bar when she saw Pete standing over Matt's body after he'd just punched him to the ground.

Josie stood watching in horror as Steve stepped in, trying to reason with Pete since he seemed to be convinced that Matt was working as a journalist. She furrowed her brow in confusion, knowing how much Pete and the rest of the boys hated 'journos' and she knew that Matt knew that as well. She took a step backward when Bovver went to kick Matt while he was down, closing her eyes in anticipation of the blow.

"I don't care who he is," her eyes snapped open to be met with the sight of Pete holding Bovver against the wall by his neck, "You don't do someone on the deck."

Bovver's face twisted in rage as he shouted at Pete, "What's wrong with you? He's gonna bury us all and yer just gonna watch?" He shoved away from Pete and addressed Steve instead, "No. Now, Steve – yer the Major. You started this firm. We got the biggest ruck of our lives coming up, and your brother's too much of a bottle-job to lead us."

Pete bit his lip angrily, clenching his fists as he stared down Bovver when Steve responded calmly, "The GSE is Pete's firm, all right? He calls the shots."

The rest of the boys seemed to back off at that and Bovver looked about for support. Seeing that even Ned and Keith looked wary he spat at the floor bitterly, "Well, fuck the lot of you!" he shouted as he shoved his way through the crowd and out the bar, screaming at anyone that got in his way.

Josie kept her eyes on Pete, watching as he paced back and forth like a caged animal before pointing angrily at Matt, "Get yerself cleaned up!" Matt moved slowly into the bathroom as Pete continued to stalk up and down, pausing when Ike and Swill stepped forward to talk to him in hushed voices.

"Alright everyone!" Terry yelled as he ducked under the bar trying to draw the attention away from Pete and Steve, "Fuck off will ya."

At his words everyone turned back to what they'd been doing prior to the altercation and Terry approached Josie carefully, leading her further down the bar, away from Pete and the boys, "Maybe just wanna stay outta the way for a bit – you alright?" he asked in concern, rubbing her back lightly.

She could feel her pulse racing and her eyes were full of fear. It was one thing to accept that Pete was a fighter but to see it was a whole other story. Seeing him lose control like that scared her. Fear was not an emotion she was used to in relation to Pete. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, "I'm fine, I'll take care of this end," she gestured to the end of the bar farthest from the boys, "Sort out what you need to. I'm fine," she repeated, trying to convince not only Terry of that fact, but herself as well.

Terry nodded his head, walking back to talk with Swill, Ike, Dave and Steve – Pete had seemed to disappear while Terry had been talking to her. Josie struggled to control her emotions as she continued to serve the rest of the patrons, smiling stiffly and keeping an eye out for Pete.

The minutes inched by slowly when she finally saw him emerge from the bathroom and head straight towards his brother, his eyes never leaving the rest of the boys. Josie tried to get his attention but failed and was forced to turn back to the next customer waiting in line. She tapped her foot impatiently as she filled a pint glass, continuously throwing glances at the end of the bar but Pete was too involved with the fight with Matt and Bovver to notice his surroundings.

Wondering why he was ignoring her it finally dawned on her that he had no idea she'd been called in to work, for all Pete knew she was safe and sound in the library. As she served the last customer waiting she went to walk down the bar to see Pete, not able to wait any longer when all hell broke loose.

The windows shattered and a bottle broke a foot above her head, exploding in flames. Josie ducked, trying to cover her head as she went down hard while smoke poured out around her and she heard various stages of fights erupt around her. She fell in a freefall, smashing her head against the hard oak of the bar while bottles of liquor shattered around her, one landing directly on top of her head.

Momentarily blinded she tried to wipe her hair out of her eyes but was met with sticky liquid. Through blurred eyes she looked down at her hands in horror to see them painted red from the blood pouring out of her head. Her vision went fuzzy and she struggled to stand in order to get away from the heat of the flames. Stumbling forward she tripped, falling into the wall and feeling a shard of glass break through her skin. More blood poured from her arm as she continued to struggle down the length of the bar, desperate to find Pete and ensure he was safe.

Jose saw him kneeling over his bleeding brother and the last thing she was conscious of seeing was the blue eyes that stared in horror back at her.

Then, her world went black.

* * *

Pete stared in terror at his brother's bleeding neck, trying to put pressure on it and screaming at someone – anyone – to help him. He glanced around him at the scene of destruction when his heart stopped, unable to believe what he was seeing, "Josie?" he managed to stutter out while struggling over who to choose, "Get a car – help 'im." He yelled to Matt who had appeared at his side and he ran towards Josie's prone figure.

He reached her and it was like all of his nightmares were coming true. She lay there, unconscious and bleeding from so many gashes he didn't know which one was the worst, "No no no," he uttered over and over as he leaned over her, picking her up carefully, feeling nauseous as her head lolled back like a rag doll. He shoved through the crowd while at the same time trying to avoid jostling Josie too much as he followed Terry and Matt out of the smoke filled room as they supported Steve.

Outside of the Abbey chaos reined, smoke billowed out into the streets as groups of men stood locked in fights. Pete glanced around, searching frantically for a car when he caught sight of Bovver, who was running his hands through his hair in disbelief, "I've messed – "

Terry glared up at him cutting him off, "Bovver – what the fuck did you do?"

Pete felt fire run through his veins as he put two and two together, realizing Bovver had something to do with this mess, "Get a fucking car," he hissed out. Bovver ran from him, smashing his elbow through a window and leaping in the driver's seat. Terry and Matt carried Steve carefully, placing him in the backseat where Matt joined him as Pete climbed into the passenger seat.

On the short drive to East London Hospital Pete tried desperately to get Josie to wake up. She was caked in her own blood and the warm liquid continued to pour from her head, "Baby, please wake up. Please be ok, I need you," he begged, whispering in her ear, kissing her desperately while trying to get her head to stop bleeding. His eyes blurred with tears as he stared at her lifeless body praying to every god he'd ever heard of that she would be alright.

The wheels squealed as they pulled into the A&E and Pete was out of the car before they'd stopped completely. He heard the scuffle of Matt and Bovver carrying Steve but he concentrated on getting Josie to a doctor then he'd focus on Steve. He ran into the brightly lit entrance room, still cradling Josie carefully, "I need a doctor – _now_," he yelled desperately and two nurses rushed towards him with a gurney. Pete placed her down carefully, trying to follow her as a doctor shoved him out of the way and he was nearly run over by the stretcher carrying his brother.

He was barely aware of Matt standing next to him as they watched the doors slam shut and the silence was deafening. Pete felt his knees go weak and he nearly dropped to the floor at the pain in his heart. He used the desk as support to hold him up while he filled out forms for Josie all the while glancing nervously towards the depths of the hospital, hoping that someone would come out with news on either Josie or Steve.

Time passed slowly as he stood waiting, unable to sit still. Finally he came out of the daze he'd been in since he saw Josie's body bloodied up and he glanced around the room to see Bovver sitting in the waiting room. His eyes narrowed at the sight and he advanced towards him, shaking off Matt's protesting arm in the process.

Reaching him, he stared down at Bovver stonily, "Trusting lads." Pete whispered, "You always said trusting lads was my problem, Bov. I trust lads too much. Trust the Yanks too much. And this is how you prove your point?" he asked angrily. "Backstabbing me? Teaming up with Tommy Hatcher to kill the Major? Kill my fucking brother? And it lands the love of my fucking life in the hospital, your bullshit almost kills my future wife," he spat at him, clenching his fists as he tried to restrain himself, knowing if he hit him he'd be thrown out of the hospital. And there was no way they'd be dragging him away from Josie when she was banged up in a hospital bed.

"I'll kill Tommy. Just say the word and I'll do it," Bovver grumbled miserably, snot streaming down his face as he grabbed at his hands.

Pete set his jaw, "I don't need you for that. I don't need you for anything anymore," he paused before whispering his final words, "Go. Away." Then he turned his back on his former best mate striding towards the front desk without a backward glance.

"Erm Miss, excuse me," he said gruffly, "My fiancé was brought in about an hour ago – any updates?"

"Name?" she asked in a bored tone and Pete bit his lip in frustration, trying not to scream at this woman about how important the girl sitting in a hospital bed was to him and that he needed her to act like she was actually helpful.

"Josephine Murphy," he replied, drumming his fingers against the desk.

"Ah yes – she's just out of X-Ray and has been brought to a room, not sure if she's awake yet... " the receptionist trailed off, clicking through her computer lazily while Pete tapped his foot impatiently, "Room 133." At that Pete took off, sprinting through the door and down the hallway, glancing frantically at the numbers on the rooms. Rushing past it, he backtracked and ran in.

A nurse was leaning over Josie, jotting numbers off the IV that was connected to her and she held a hand up, "Hold on sir – one minute then you can come in."

Pete stood a foot away from the bed, feeling sick at the sight of her bruised, puffy face, the bandage wrapped around her head that had a spot of blood seeping through. Her arm was wrapped where she'd apparently had to be stitched up and he shifted back and forth impatiently as the nurse took her time, "Ok sir – all set.," she said finally as she turned to walk out of the room.

He approached her carefully, his breath coming in gasps as he looked down at her. He dropped to his knees, taking her limp hand in his, "Joze," he whispered softly, "Yer gonna have to wake up, kay love?" He felt a tear roll down his face as he stared at her silent body, "I can't live without you – _please wake up_." He begged quietly, absentmindedly twirling the ring on her finger around and around. _What an absolute fuck up I am – propose to her then the fuckin' GSE nearly gets her killed all in one day_, he thought remorsefully.

Pete kneeled there, staring at her as he tried to will her to open her eyes. He stared at her usually flawless skin that was currently discolored and swollen, her right eye puffy from when she'd hit the bar. He touched her face tenderly, begging silently she'd open her eyes, "Excuse me, Mr. Dunham?" He looked up to see a young doctor standing at the door, holding a clipboard in her hand, "I've got Ms. Murphy's test results. Says here you're her fiancé?"

"Yes," he replied shortly, getting up to follow her into the hall. He stared back at Josie, reluctant to leave her but anxious to know what they'd found.

"Well the good news is she's going to be ok," Pete sighed in relief but it was short lived when she continued, "The bad news is she has a very severe concussion that will have some rather harsh, lingering side effects, it took ten stitches to close the gash in her upper arm, another thirteen to stitch up the cut on her forehead that's just below the hairline and multiple contusions covering her body."

His head spun as the doctor rattled off her injuries, "When," he started, clearing his throat before continuing, "When will she wake up?"

"Hard to say – we had to sedate her so you'll have to be patient. She'll be pretty out of it when she does wake up," the doctor responded kindly, placing a hand on his arm before turning to leave him standing in his own thoughts.

Pete felt lower than shit at that point as he tried to get his emotions under control after hearing the state of Josie's injuries. The reassurance that she would be ok did little to sooth him, knowing he wouldn't be fine until she actually woke up. He knew he had to check on his brother and he hurried back to the waiting room only to be met with an angry Shannon and rightly so. He stood, taking her abuse, knowing he deserved it. Tears poured down her face and Matt pulled her away, supporting the weight of her body as tears streamed down her face.

"How is he?" Pete asked Matt softly when he returned to him from taking care of his sister.

"Out of the woods," he replied and Pete heaved a soft sigh of relief, "I'm gonna let Shan go in now then join her in a bit. How's Josie?"

Pete swallowed difficultly, "Still out – doc says she'll be alright though." He glanced past Matt to see some of the boys standing there waiting. He felt no anger as he locked eyes with Dave, unable to drum up any of the bitter, jealous feelings he'd had before. None of it mattered, he'd already lost one mate tonight, he didn't want to lose another.

"How are they?" Dave asked and the boys crowded around him, eager for any news.

"Both hangin' in there. Joze still isn't awake but Steve is," he said painfully.

"So what now?" Swill asked, all of them wearing anxious faces.

Pete gave a grim smile, "You let Tommy know I want a straightener. Tomorrow."

"All right," Dave agreed and the rest of them nodded as well.

"We finish this once and for all, somewhere quiet. Your mate still runs security at Trinity Warf?" he asked Keith who shook his head yes, "Get hold of him. Set it up."

"Mr. Dunham?" Pete turned at the sound of name to see a nurse standing there, "Ms. Murphy's awake."

Without another word to the boys, Pete ran back towards her room, sighing in relief when he saw her eyes open and alert, "Josie," he breathed out in relief.

"Pete," she cried out, reaching a hand towards him, grimacing in pain from the slight movement.

"Don't move," he said, crossing the room quickly taking a seat carefully on the edge of the bed. He smoothed her hair back, kissing her forehead softly, "Joze I am so sorry." He whispered to her, leaving his lips against her warm skin.

She reached a hand up and stoked his face softly, "Why are you sorry? I'm fine – bit banged up but I'm alright." She tried to smile reassuringly but it came out as another grimace of pain.

"God I thought I lost you," he said, placing a soft kiss on her lips, "Don't scare me like that."

Josie kissed him back carefully, "I won't – promise. Uh-oh," she groaned, leaning over and vomiting violently over the side of the bed into a trash can. Pete held her hair back carefully, rubbing her back soothingly as she emptied her stomach, "Ugh, go 'way – I'm all yucky." She mumbled once she'd finished throwing up.

Pete let out a laugh of relief at the familiar stubbornness, "Joze, I plan on marrying you, if I'm scared off by a bit of puke I'll be a shit husband." He got up and grabbed a glass of water for her, helping her sip it and staring in concern at how pale she looked.

"Nurse said nausea is a side-effect of the concussion. Should stop in a few days at the latest," she said, trying to downplay just how miserable she really felt. Her head was throbbing and the slightest movement caused another wave of nausea. Her body felt numb from the drugs but the ache in her arm and from the cut of her forehead was still blisteringly painful.

Suddenly tears began to pour down her face and she threw her arms around his neck, biting her lip in pain from the sudden movement but clinging onto him anyways, "Babe, shh – it's ok, I'm right 'ere." He said soothingly, trying to console her as best he could.

"I was so scared," she managed to choke out, "It was all so chaotic and I thought they were there for you and it was all smoky and loud and I just couldn't find you." She said in a rush of words while she gasped for breath through her tears.

"Relax Joze – calm down babe, I'm safe, I promise," he said holding her face carefully, staring into her eyes while stroking her neck softly, "Member I pinky swore once I'd never leave you – I ain't about to break that now."

Pete leaned forward to kiss her sweetly and she smiled slightly, "Stay with me?" she mumbled, becoming groggy from the drugs that were running through her veins.

"Course," he said, climbing onto the small hospital bed being careful not to hurt her. She molded her body to his easily, wrapping her arms around him tightly as she snuggled into his side, "I love you," he whispered into her hair, kissing the curls softly.

"Love you too," were the last words she managed to get out before falling into a dreamless sleep.

Pete stayed up, watching her carefully and holding her tight to him. He felt like he'd let her down. The only thing he'd ever wanted was to keep her safe and now she was bruised and battered all because of the Firm. He rested his chin on her head thinking back over his life before Josie and his life now that she was in it. He never thought the day would come that he'd regret being the head of the GSE but it seemed that day was today.

Once the shit with Tommy was over they could put the whole disaster behind them and Pete could start to think about the unthinkable – leaving the GSE for good. He stroked her hair softly; drinking in the moment knowing what lay ahead wouldn't be easy – all he hoped was that he wouldn't break his promise to Josie.

* * *

**What'd ya think? Shit is about to go down as we all know & reviews give me motivation!**


	26. The Final Fight

**Soo, procrastination at it's finest: an update in the midst of final week! Hope you enjoy :) Reviews will make this week sooo much better.**

* * *

Early morning sunlight streamed into the hospital window as Josie opened her eyes groggily. Her head was still throbbing and she winced slightly when she moved her arm and felt pain shoot up the length of it. Glancing around the room she searched frantically for Pete but it appeared the room was empty. Frowning slightly she noticed a note resting just next to her head on the pillow.

Reaching for it carefully, she felt slightly sick at what it would say, a feeling in the pit of her stomach made her very wary. Opening it slowly her eyes took in the words carefully: _Mornin' Joze_, Pete had scrawled_, had to run out quick to take care of somethin'. Don't worry – I'll be back before you know it. I love you. - Pete_

She stared at the words, trying to grasp some deeper meaning from them but her head was slightly fuzzy and it seemed simple enough so she tried to ignore the nervous feeling she had woken up with. Sitting there thinking over the past twenty four hours her head spun at all that had happened – only in their world would they get engaged only for one of them to land in hospital the same day. Leaning back, she sighed slightly while tapping her foot impatiently wondering how long it had been since he'd left.

"Good mornin' miss – how are we feelin' today?" a nurse said lightly, startling Josie out of her thoughts.

"Oh, uh just fine – head hurts a bit is all but other than that I'm just fine. Can I leave?" she asked in a rush, desperate for this hellish experience to be over.

"Lemme just take a quick looksie and we should be able to get you out of here," the nurse responded with a smile and worked quickly to check her vitals while Josie sighed lightly in annoyance. She sat up in the bed, foot still tapping nervously, wanting nothing more than to be out of here, "You seem to be alright love – one of your mates dropped off some clean clothes for you so you're set to get out of 'ere. Think he said his name was Quill."

Josie snorted, "You must mean Swill – thank you though, that was quite sweet of him. Hey –" she shouted at the nurse's retreating figure, a thought suddenly coming to her, "You didn't happen to notice when the tall blonde man that was in here left did you?"

The nurse looked back at her in confusion and Josie figured it would be a negative answer until comprehension dawned on her face, "Oo the very handsome one?" she asked expectantly and Josie fought the urge to roll her eyes but managed to nod in the affirmative, "Hmm, don't really know – I did over 'ear them last night sayin' somethin' about a straightener at Trinity Warf – whatever that means," she said trailing off lightly before bustling out of the room to allow Josie to change.

Josie felt her blood turn cold and she was suddenly completely alert. Her mouth went dry and she felt out of breath, "Oh my God _no_," she murmured as realization hit her like a mack truck before leaping as best she could out of the bed. She threw on the pair of jeans and Pete's sweatshirt that Swill had brought for her pulling on her sneakers as she was already running out the door. Sprinting down the hallway, her mind reeling with what could potentially be happening right now.

_Why Pete, why?_ She thought desperately as she ran out of hospital and leapt in a cab, "Trinity Warf," she shouted at the driver, "And please hurry."

* * *

Chaos reigned around Pete while Bovver and Matt tried to support him away from the fray. He'd never been in so much pain in his life and all he could think about was that he may end up breaking his promise to Josie and that single thought hurt more than the physical injuries. Through blurred vision he saw a Range Rover pull in and his mind went blank at the sight, wondering what was going on. Then he saw Tommy, an evil glint in his eye, going at Shannon who had just leapt out of the car, screaming for her brother. He felt his heart stop at the sight; he couldn't let that man get to his brother's family, "OI! Tommy! Don't you wanna finish me off then?" he shouted, stumbling about, pain shooting through his body with every step he took.

Tommy glared back at him, giving a vicious laugh, "Yer already finished little Petey! The NTO will take care of you in a minute you mug!" he yelled gleefully, while continuing to advance on Shannon and Ben.

Limping towards Tommy, Pete shouted out in desperation, "We didn't kill your son, Tommy! You did! You should have protected 'im mate, he was your _son_!"

At his words, Tommy whirled around and ran at him, fists raised in fury, "Don't you talk about my fuckin' son! Don't you talk about 'im you cunt!" His anger was overpowering and Pete tried as best he could to stop the blows but it was too late, he had no more energy left for it. He shut his eyes, feeling the pain begin to fade and his world began to go black. Tommy's furious shouts faded and were instead replaced with memories flashing through his mind. Vivid, bright flashes of his life danced across the back of his eyelids.

The first match his dad had brought him to. The first fight he'd been in with the GSE, standing proudly next to his brother. Meeting Bovver in detention on his ninth birthday. Visions of university and his adolescent years jumbled together unimportantly. Then what he'd been waiting for: the memory of the first time he saw Josie. In his mind he smiled at the golden brown hair curling down her back and the dusting of freckles across her nose. He remembered the feel of her lips on his the first time he'd kissed her, remembered thinking how that was heaven. He could feel her soft touch and see her brown eyes smiling at him. He had the usual flash of the future with her in a white dress, glowing as she walked towards him on his father's arm and it wounded him to know he'd never see it for himself, heartbroken that he'd shattered the promise he'd made her.

Pete tried to hold on to it all, grasping onto the vision of her in his head while he struggled to fight the darkness that threatened to take over, desperate to hang on so he could get back to her. Then a sight he never imagined before, the most amazing vision he'd never thought of: one of Josie with a swollen belly, carrying his child, a golden glow around her and then – darkness.

* * *

The tires squealed on the dirt and Josie looked around in horror at the sight that met her shocked eyes. Bodies and blood were strewn about the Warf and her heart leapt to her throat when she saw both sides of the Firms circled around one body, "Call an ambulance!" she shouted at the driver before leaping out of the taxi, no regard for those around her and what harm they may want to do to her. The only sight she saw was Pete, covered in his own blood, lying broken on the filthy ground while the rest of the men stared on in horror.

"Please God no," she prayed as she sprinted towards him. Shoving through the group she was barely aware of the shocked looks on the collected men's faces. Reaching him, she dropped to her knees, eyes filling with tears, "Pete!" she shouted desperately, noticing he didn't appear to be breathing, "NO! You _won't_ make me a widow before you make me a wife – stay with me please baby," she stuttered slightly, trying to remember her rudimentary CPR skills through her panic.

Bovver kneeled, sniveling beside her, "Call someone – _please_," she begged to him. The silence around her was deafening as she sobbed, staring at the love of her life's broken body. It seemed as though hours past while she sat kneeling over Pete's body, blood soaking her clothes while she tried to find a pulse. Suddenly she heard sirens ring though and an EMT push her aside. She was vaguely aware of men scattering and running but all she saw was Pete. He was put on a stretcher, the EMTs working frantically and she tried to follow onto the ambulance but the doors slammed shut on her face and it peeled out of the Warf, lights flashing as it sped towards the hospital.

Arms wrapped around her and she started to fight, "Joze! Relax – it's Swill, just Swill." He said, lifting her off the ground and supporting her body as though she was the broken one. She tore away from him, sprinting back towards the taxi that still sat waiting. She leapt back into the cab, followed by Swill and Dave who both looked a bit worse for the wear, but seemed to be not fatally harmed.

"Follow the ambulance – _please_," she cried desperately to the driver who again took off, back towards the hospital.

A few minutes later they reached the A&E and Josie was out of the car before it stopped, throwing bills at the drive without really noticing. Hurrying into the front room, she ran towards the front desk, "Pete Dunham was just brought in – I'm his fiancé," she said, gulping slightly while struggling for words, "What's going on?"

The pitying look that the woman gave her made Josie's heart falter, "I'm sorry miss…" she started and at her words, Josie found she didn't quite have the strength to hear them and she felt the room blur around her until it faded to black.

When she came to, she was propped up in a chair in the waiting room, Swill and Dave staring down at her with worried looks on their faces and to her surprise Emma was standing behind them, "Joze? You alright love?" her friend asked her, rushing towards her and smoothing her hair softly.

"_Pete_," she whispered, "Alive?" was all she could get out.

Dave nodded his head shortly and Josie began to sob when he spoke, "In surgery now but…" he trailed off, swallowing hard before continuing, "It doesn't look good."

Her worst fears confirmed she began to wail, feeling like someone had just ripped her heart out. She slumped over in her chair, tears streaming down her face and she wrapped her arms around herself, pulling her knees to her chest. Swill sat on one side of her, Dave dropped to his knees in front of her and Emma plopped down next to her, wrapping an arm around her as she rested her head on her shoulder, rubbing her back softly.

No one spoke a word, knowing there were no words of comfort they could offer her. Swill bit his lip, fighting tears while Dave didn't even bother trying to stop his. The four of them sat silently in the waiting room, anxious to hear something while fearing what was to come at the same time.

* * *

Josie stared at Pete's bruised and almost unrecognizable face, looking for some inkling of awareness. The silence in the room was broken only by the beep of the heart monitored that was the only proof he was still alive. Her eyes felt dry and puffy, the tears dried up after the hours waiting while he was in surgery. She clasped his hand in both of hers, trying to avoid the sight of the diamond on her finger – what had just hours ago been a cause for elation it now only served as a cruel reminder that their life together may never get to begin.

"You promised," she whispered in a raspy voice to him, "You swore you wouldn't leave me." She cringed slightly at the fact that he was still here, "I guess you technically haven't but this isn't exactly what I meant."

She continued to stare, looking at the usually handsome features that were now mangled and the various tubes that were coming out of his body. Her eyes welled with a fresh round of tears, "_Please_ baby, I'm not being funny or overdramatic when I tell you I can't function properly without you. So you're just going to have to come out of this and wake up so I can see your stupid, beautiful blue eyes and watch you smirk at me and feel you touch me and hear you talk. We're supposed to get married – I refuse to bury you before we get that chance. So _wake up_." She begged.

Nothing. No response. No twitch. Nothing.

Josie laid her head carefully on his stomach, staring up at him and praying to God, Buddha, Jehovah, Allah, every god she'd ever heard of that he would wake up and be alright.

"Excuse me Miss?" a voice from the doorway interrupted her fervent prayers and she looked up to see a stern, young nurse staring down at her, "Visiting hours are over."

Josie arched an eyebrow at the nurse wondering why she was telling her something that didn't apply to her, "Um, ok."

"You have to leave," she said not wholly unkindly but Josie narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw nonetheless.

"I'm not going anywhere," she stated bluntly, holding tighter to Pete's hand as though he'd be able to help her.

"Ma'am, I understand you're upset but rules are rules – you've got to go," the woman said again, holding herself a bit taller.

Josie squinted at the woman to read her nametag, "Now listen here, Nurse McDonald, I don't give a shit what rules there are – I'm. Not. Leaving. He," she pointed to Pete with one hand, "Is going to wake up and there's not a shot in hell that I won't be here for that so you can just piss off."

The nurse's jaw dropped and Josie turned back to stare at Pete with an air of finality as the girl turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Josie knew that wouldn't be the last of her but she couldn't quite find the energy to be bothered by her. Pete was here, she was here – it was that simple.

A few minutes passed when the nurse returned with a middle aged doctor and Josie looked up at him, eyes flicking over his tall frame quickly. If she actually cared she'd think he was quite handsome, a McDreamy if you will, "Miss," the doctor said kindly, "Seems we've got a bit of a problem, eh? You won't leave?"

Josie swallowed hard, nearly choking on her tears, "Not that I won't, can't," she clarified. She held up her left hand pathetically before continuing, "We recently got engaged – like yesterday morning recent. I can't leave him. I won't take up room, I'll stay right here in this chair, in this corner – no one will even know I'm here – just please don't make me leave, _please_." She begged, tears shining in her eyes.

The doctor stared down at the young girl in front of him, eyes filled with pity as he noted the puffy, red eyes and the sobs she was trying to restrain but through it all she was still quite pretty. He contemplated what harm it would actually do when Nurse McDonald chimed in, "We understand you're upset but unfortunately we just can't make these kinds of exceptions. It would set a bad precedent."

Josie's eyes flashed dangerously towards the nurse again, "I get it sounds like I'm asking but really I am telling you I'm not leaving him. You can call every doctor, nurse, security guard, whatever in this place and you won't get me to leave him. If he's here, I'm here." She set her jaw stubbornly, holding her head high and daring them to tell her to leave again.

Nurse McDonald opened her mouth to snap back but the doctor held up a hand, taking pity on the young girl who was so desperate to stay, "Alright Miss – seems you won't be leaving whether by force or of your own volition so I'll make an exception to the policy and you'll be allowed to stay as long as you please."

"Dr. Cole," she whined slightly, "It's against hospital policy."

"Well lucky for the lady I have such power to go against that policy," he replied jovially.

Josie smiled up at him gratefully, "Thank you Dr. Cole," she said, offering a hand to him.

"You're welcome, Miss…" he trailed off, shaking her hand gently.

"Murphy. Josephine Murphy. But Josie is just fine," she said, introducing herself. Dr. Cole released her hand and she immediately took Pete's hand in hers again, "Are you his doctor?"

He shook his head, "No but if you'd like to talk to his doctor I can have her paged?"

Josie waved him away, "No no, I talked to her already when he came out of surgery and I doubt there's any change, I was just wondering if there was some kind of shift change or something that would make you his doctor."

"Ok," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "I am sorry Josie – I'll make sure you're left alone though. I hope it all works out."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she tried to smile back at him, "Thank you." She whispered before turning back to stare at Pete, keeping vigilant for any sign of change.

* * *

Josie's eyes snapped open and she nearly fell from the chair she'd been curled up in. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she glanced at the bed to see Pete was still in a coma no matter what the dream she'd just been having had convinced her of. Her eyes prickled with tears at the sight – it was the same every time she fell asleep: dream her and Pete were both alive and well only to wake up to the slap in the face of a comatose Pete.

She stretched slightly, rubbing her neck in pain. Ten days of sleeping in a chair was beginning to take its toll on her body. She glanced around the room filled with flowers and balloons and get well cards. There was a football that every boy from his class had signed and she felt a pang in her heart at the sight of it all. Grimacing she stood up slowly, inching closer to the bed, "Morning baby," she said, placing a soft kiss on Pete's forehead, "You plannin' on waking up today sleepy bear?" she asked the silent form.

She sighed heavily, "Guess not right now, but you _will_ wake up," she said fiercely, "Preferably sooner rather than later. Now, I'm going to run home, shower and change but I'll be back before you know it." Placing another kiss on his head she turned to leave and stopped short at the sight of the man filling up the doorway.

"Colin?" she whispered in shock.

"Hiya Josie Jo," her brother replied with a tired smile. At that she ran towards him, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tight, relieved at the sight of a member of her family.

Colin hugged her tight, stroking her hair softly, "What are you doing here?" Josie asked as she pulled away slightly, tears filling her eyes.

"We've been worried sick about you Joze. And of course about Pete too. I got cut from the team so I figured why not take an extended vacation to support my baby sister in a time of need?" he shrugged slightly as he spoke while Josie stared up at him in shock.

"You got cut?" she asked in disbelief. Colin had been playing for a minor-league hockey team and Josie had thought he'd been doing well, at least that's what her dad had told her.

"Cut, quit – what's the difference?" he responded lightly.

"I can't believe you quit," she responded in awe. Colin had always been the least motivated of the brothers for the sport but she never thought he'd quit the game.

He gave a casual wave before pulling her into his side, "It was time to move on. Now," he said seriously, "How's he doin'?"

Josie cringed painfully at the question, "He's still in there is all I can really say. The doctors come in and tell me all this medical mumbo jumbo that I never understand but they said brain activity is doing alright but they won't be able to tell if there's any long term damage until he wakes up."

Colin stared at the hospital bed uncomfortably, unused to the sight of Pete laying there. Whenever he thought of his sister's boyfriend he thought of a strong, rough, self-assured guy, "Are you stayin' here?"

"Yeah," Josie said, "I run back to Pete's every day to shower and change but I'm never gone long. My lease was up and Pete had asked me to move in with him so all my stuff is there now. The boys moved me a couple days ago so I wouldn't have to leave here."

"Come on – let's get you outta here for a bit, you look like you haven't seen fresh air in months." Josie allowed her brother to lead her out of the hospital room, throwing one last glance at Pete. She wrapped an arm around his waist as they meandered down the hallway, Josie saying hellos to most of the staff they passed who all seemed happy to see her.

After the seventh person greeted her by name Colin spoke again, "Joze – have you been sleeping here too?" he asked, giving her an appraising look.

Josie blushed at the look but raised her chin defiantly, "Of course – I'm not going to leave him until he wakes up."

Colin sighed, "What about school? Work? Your _life_?" he cringed when he saw the tears in her eyes.

"My life is currently laying in that hospital bed – what don't you people get??" she cried out, pulling away from him, "You. The doctors. Emma. You act like I'm crazy to be here. He's going to wake up, we're going to get married and we're going to live happily ever after. That's the plan – he promised he wouldn't leave me." She said stubbornly while tears poured down her face.

Her brother stared back at her, horrified that he'd upset her, "Joze – I'm sorry," he said, pulling her into a hug, "I'm meant to make you feel better not worse. I get it – if staying here is what you need, you'll stay. And I will too for as long as they let me."

Josie managed to smile back at him and hugged him back. Glancing over his shoulder he saw Emma standing there. She grinned at the sight. Emma had been by every day before and after work, staying with her for hours on end. She pulled away from her brother and walked over to hug her friend, "Have I told you lately that you're the best friend a girl could have?"

Emma smiled, "You have but it's always nice to hear. How's he doin' today?"

Josie tried to shrug casually, "No better, no worse." Emma stared back at her, taking in the pained look on her friends face.

"Aw Joze, it'll be alright. They didn't even think he'd make it through surgery but he did. He's strong, he'll be alright," she said, trying her best to reassure her.

Josie nodded her head, "God I hope so." Realizing her brother was standing awkwardly to the side, she pulled him towards her, "Em – this is my brother Colin, Col – my friend Emma." She said, introducing the two.

Colin eyed the blonde up and down, blushing slightly as he took her hand, "Nice to meet you," he said shyly and Emma grinned back at him as she took his hand, giving a flirtatious bat of her eyelashes.

Josie rolled her eyes at the sight but for the first time since the day at the Warf she felt slightly closer to normal. Just the sight of one of her brothers made her feel slightly more at ease and Emma and the boys had been unbelievable.

Now all she needed was Pete to wake up.

* * *

**EEK...don't worry though - I could never kill Pete off. Thoughts? **


	27. Blue Eyes Wide

**Phew - I feel like I've been workin' on this chapter forever! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas or other holiday should you not celebrate X-Mas...either way I hope you all got some nice goodies in this holiday season. **

**As always thanks for reviews/alerts so without further adoooo...**

* * *

Josie, Colin and Emma trudged along the quiet streets towards Pete's flat, an awkward silence surrounding them. Colin had his arm wrapped around Josie's shoulders and Emma's was wrapped around her waist.

"I'm glad you came Col," Josie said quietly while her brother squeezed her shoulder softly.

"We were worried sick about you Jo. Plus Pete had called after that shit at the Abbey. I thought I was going to have to get on a plane to kill him for letting you get hurt but then…" he trailed off awkwardly.

Josie bit her lip to stop more tears from falling and Emma cut in, "Yeah well – we're all just tickled you're here but let's not throw the words 'Pete' and 'kill' into the same sentence, kay?"

Colin's eyes widened in shock at the glare on Emma's face and Josie snorted slightly, "Em – its fine. Tact has never been one of Colin's greatest qualities."

Both Emma and Colin laughed lightly at her words and the rest of the short walk was done in comfortable silence. Once they finally reached Pete's flat, Josie let them in with her key and cringed at the sight that met her. There were boxes of her stuff strewn about everywhere including suitcases filled with clothes and shoes and stacks of books piled on every surface.

"Holy hell, what happened here?" Emma asked in surprise, taking in the mess.

"Member I said my lease was up and I was movin' in with Pete? Poor timing unfortunately, so the boys had to move me since I refused to leave the hospital," she replied as her brown eyes scanned the cluttered room, "Which I am slightly regretting at this time." She gave a slight groan, "Ugh – this is gonna be a nightmare to get in order."

"Yeah – _you_ are fucked," Colin said, stressing the singular 'you' before picking through the maze of belongings to plop onto the couch while he flicked on the TV. Emma gave Josie a sympathetic look before turning to follow Colin to the couch, neither of them willing to be helpful apparently.

Josie blew a puff of air out, "Thanks so much guys," she grumbled, "I'm gonna take a quick shower then head back to the hospital." Turning without even looking to see if they'd heard her she walked quickly into Pete's bedroom.

Glancing around the small room she felt a pang in her heart at the ruffled bed sheets and the clothes casually thrown across his bed waiting for their owner to return. She ran her hand along the bed, longing for the warmth that usually came with it. Looking around his room, trying to fight the tears that were always lurking just under the surface, she smiled slightly at a picture of her and Pete that was propped up on the mirror of his bureau.

Josie stared at the photo, taking in the way she fit into the crook of Pete's arm and the way he was staring down at her lovingly while she grinned back at the camera. She looked longingly at the living Pete, staring at his handsome and unmarred face, wondering if it would ever look like that again. Turning away hurriedly, she rushed into the bathroom to escape the memories his bedroom held.

Showering quickly and dressing even faster, Josie exited the bedroom after just fifteen minutes to see Colin and Emma still seated on the couch, talking quietly and leaning in to each other. She was just about to open her mouth to say she was ready to go when a loud bang on the door startled her.

Both Emma and Colin jumped slightly, looking at Josie in confusion, "Odd – any of the boys would just barge right in." She felt an odd flutter in the pit of her stomach as she walked towards the door.

Pulling it open, she was confronted with the sight of two men, wearing rumpled suits and looking a bit worse for the wear. Arching an eyebrow, her eyes narrowed slightly as the younger of the two looked her up and down hungrily, "Can I help you?" she asked, slightly rougher than intended.

"We're from the Metropolitan police, we're here to speak to Pete Dunham," the older man said, staring down at her with a bored look on his face.

Josie felt her mouth go dry, yet her temper bubbled furiously and Colin was instantly at her side, tugging at her arm gently in an attempt to rein her in, "You'll have a tough time of that," she said angrily.

"Miss, you need to understand we need to talk to him in regards to a very important criminal matter," the younger man said arrogantly, peering around her as though Pete was hiding behind the couch, "So step aside – this is police business."

"I'm not hiding him – Pete's in a coma, has been for ten days. Now if you'll excuse _me_, I have to get back to hospital to attend to my fiancé. Good day," she said, going to slam the door in the two men's faces when the older one stuck his foot in the door to stop her.

The lines on his face softened slightly as he handed her a card with his name printed on it, "Detective Cross –" he said, holding out a hand, "If you are in fact his fiancé – Josephine Murphy – we'll need to be speaking with you as well."

Josie took the card with a shaking hand, staring unseeing at the card now clutched in her palm, "Now?" she asked in a strangled voice.

Detective Cross nodded, "I'm afraid so." He gently pushed the door open and walked into the room while the younger man behind him swaggered in his steps. Josie sighed and followed to the two men as they took seats around the kitchen table. She gritted her teeth at how comfortable they made themselves, especially the younger one who kicked his feet up and set them on an empty chair.

"Take a seat Miss," the younger man said, "I'm Detective DiNozzo."

"Actually," Detective Cross said, "Its _junior_ detective. Show some respect – put yer feet down." He snapped as a blush crept up his partner's face. He turned to face Josie with a softer look, "Please – sit," he said, gesturing to an empty seat.

"Thanks for the offer in my own kitchen," she grumbled and her brother placed a soothing arm on her shoulder and she plopped into the seat, "Detective Cross," she addressed the older man, completely ignoring his partner, "Do we really need to do this now? I'd like to get back to the hospital."

"Please call me Tim. And unfortunately we do need to do this now. We'll try to make this as painless as possible," the detective's eyes scanned Josie's face, lingering on the faded bruise around her right eye. "Could you please explain to us what occurred at the Brigid Abbey pub on March 21st?"

Josie bit her lip, feeling it tremble slightly as her mind went over all that had occurred, the memories still too fresh and painful. Colin squeezed her shoulder and she heard Emma give an aggravated huff, "Is this entirely necessary? I don't think you lot have the right to just barge in like this and bother poor Josie when she's been through enough."

Detective Cross heaved a great sigh and addressed Emma, "Ma'am – we're not tryin' to bother Miss Murphy but there are currently two open investigations that involve her either directly or indirectly. Now," he said, turning back to Josie, "You were admitted to East London Hospital on the night of the 21st. Could you please explain what occurred?"

Emma opened her mouth to argue again but Josie held up a hand to stop her, "I was working. Men came in fighting. I fell, hit my head and Pete brought me to the hospital. That's all I know." She finished stubbornly, "Now – may I please return to the hospital, I'd rather not be here while he's there."

Detective Cross sighed and rubbed his graying temples, "Alright but we'll be needin' to talk to you both when he wakes up."

Josie gave a short nod, rising from her chair quickly and walking towards the door to pull it open, waving the two men out of the flat. DiNozzo walked hurriedly out first, barely sparing her a glance while Detective Cross picked up the card she'd left on the table. Pressing it into her hand as he walked by her he said, "Please call when he's awake. I'm being lenient now but I won't be if you dodge me."

Josie nodded, hand trembling slightly as she took his card again, "Thank you. I will call," she said, hoping she could keep her promise as the two men walked out of the flat and she closed the door with a click.

She turned and leaned against the door, throwing her head into it with a thud while both Colin and Emma looked on, not knowing what more to say about this new turn of events.

"Well the hits just keep on comin', huh?" she said to no one in particular. "Let's get outta here before another someone else comes along to ruin my life."

Colin and Emma exchanged worried glances that Josie failed to notice as she was already throwing a coat on and hurrying out the door to get back to Pete's side. In her mind the only thing that mattered was Pete waking up, she'd deal with the consequences of the fight when he was alive and well. Nothing mattered until he was awake, not Detective Cross or his wormy companion nothing but Pete was important to her right now.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

The familiar sound of Pete's heart monitor broke through Josie's subconscious. Opening her eyes slowly she realized she'd fallen asleep with her head on Pete's stomach. She looked up at him, grimacing as always at the sight of his silent frame. She glanced at her watch to see it was just past two in the morning.

_Day thirteen_, she thought bitterly as she rubbed her aching shoulders, _I can't take this much more_. Between her brother's arrival and the meeting with the detectives her nerves were frayed beyond repair and she was running on empty. Her days were spent sitting in Pete's hospital room, chatting with the various visitors that filtered through each day and trying to finish up the semester without being in the library. Everything was hanging on by a thread and if Pete didn't wake up soon ...well, she couldn't even stomach that thought.

She perched herself on the edge of his bed, holding one of Pete's hands tightly while running her fingers along his face gently. She smiled slightly, tracing the scar just above his eyebrow that he'd got when he was hell bent on make-up sex rather than letting her fix it up. The shadows allowed her to pretend that he was just sleeping versus being in a coma while covered in bruises that were now molted and yellow.

Leaning forward, she pressed a soft kiss to his lips and to her utter shock and amazement, Pete pressed his lips back to hers. Josie's eyes snapped open and stared directly into the blue eyes that had been haunting her dreams, "Is this heaven?" Pete whispered roughly, voice scratchy from disuse.

Suddenly tears were pouring down her face while she stared in astonishment into his eyes, "Oh me God – you're awake," she cried out, pulling him into her arms and hugging him tight, "You kept your promise." She mumbled, kissing him over and over on his lips and cheeks and eyelids while staring into his wide eyes, amazed at the life behind them.

Reluctantly, she pulled away, sprinting out of the room to find a doctor to ensure that he was healthy after his prolonged nap. Spying Dr. Cole who'd let her stay on a permanent basis she ran at him, waving her arms frantically, "He's awake! He's awake! Please, come quick."

Not waiting to see if he was following her she turned to sprint back to Pete's room leaving Dr. Cole trailing behind her. She saw Pete trying to struggle into a sitting position and she rushed to his side to help him, "Fuck me – I feel terrible." He grumbled and Josie gave a watery grin in his direction.

"You shouldn't, you big jerk, you've been out for thirteen days," Pete's eyes widened slightly at her words but he didn't get a chance to respond as he was suddenly being poked and prodded by the doctor. He felt miserable, every part of him ached and his mouth felt so dry it was as though he'd been wandering around a desert for the past two weeks.

As the doctor continued to check his vitals, asking him a million questions the only thing he was fully conscious of was Josie's hand gripping his tightly. He drank in the sight of her, taking in the huge bags under her eyes and how pale and tired she looked but to him, seeing her in person was the most gorgeous sight he'd ever seen. The puffiness from her eye that he'd remembered was gone, replaced by a barely there mark and her bangs covered what he expected would be a scar from her head wound. Other than that, she was beautiful, alive and his.

"Thirteen days, eh?" he croaked out, squeezing her hand, "You'll have to fill me in on everything."

Pete stared back at her and Josie felt her eyes fill with tears again, "Course – but the doctors have to make sure you're alright first."

He tried to smirk back at her but it came out as a grimace instead, "Miss Josie?" The doctor interrupted.

"Hmm?" she responded, her eyes never leaving Pete's face, staring deeply into his blue eyes as he stared back at her.

"I know you may fight me on this but we're going to have to fully check him out…" Dr. Cole said, looking down at her, hoping she wouldn't react poorly.

"So I have to leave," she finished for him.

Josie managed to drag her eyes from Pete's face and she grinned up at him, "Fine," she said, heaving a theatric sigh, "I suppose I have to listen to you since you did let me stay here on a permanent basis.

Pete's eyes moved back and forth between Josie and the doctor, trying to figure out what had happened, "You mean to tell me you never left?"

"It's quite a lady you've got 'ere," the doctor answered for her, "Threatened every nurse or doctor that tried to get her to leave, persistent little one." He said with a grin.

Josie shrugged casually, "You were here, I was here." She told him, staring back into his eyes. Pete tried to lean forward to kiss her but she beat him to it and jumped to her feet to kiss his lips gently, "Now you're allowed to go get checked out but I expect you to make a full recovery immediately, got it?"

He managed to smile back at her, "Pinky promise," he said, linking his pinky with hers.

Dr. Cole gently moved Josie to the side as they wheeled Pete out of the room. Suddenly, feeling weak she collapsed into the chair she'd spent nearly two weeks in, a rush of emotions flowing through her. Tears of happiness, rather than the usual ones of despair, poured down her face. _Awake, awake, awake_, her mind shouted happily.

She closed her eyes, finally allowing herself to dream of the following days and weeks and months and years that she would have with him. _Alive_, was her last coherent thought as she dozed off with a smile on her face for the first time in weeks.

* * *

"Joze, I'm not bein' wheeled out like some invalid, I can walk," Pete said stubbornly as Josie fussed about him as he prepared to be discharged from the hospital after a sixteen day stay.

She rolled her eyes, "Babe, just fuckin' sit in the wheelchair. I'm not arguing about this with you," she replied, placing her hands on her hips and glaring up at him menacingly.

Pete stared down into her eyes, leaning in to kiss her before giving in, "Fine, but only cause yer kinda cute when you're angry."

"Aw so sweet," a familiar voice said from the door.

They both turned to see Swill, Dave, Ike, Ned, Keith and Terry all standing with matching grins on their faces, "Happy to see you've joined the living world Dunham," Terry said loudly.

The boys walked into the room, slapping Pete's back and shouting loudly, all trying to be heard over the other voices. The seriousness of what had occurred in the past weeks was quickly fading into just another GSE memory. Josie watched with a soft smile on her face at the sight of the reunion though she couldn't shake the feeling that the boys were thinking of this as another close call rather than the eye opener it should be.

"Don't you lot want to get out of 'ere by now?" another voice joined the fray and Josie looked over to see Dr. Cole who had been so good to her over the past few weeks. Once Pete had woken up he'd ensured that he had the best care and had even helped put them in touch with a proper physical therapist for his knee which had been completely destroyed by Hatcher.

"Tryin' to, stubborn bird is makin' me be wheeled out," Pete responded, grinning slightly as he stood on still unsteady feet. Josie came forward and wrapped her arm around his waist and he looked down at her face, kissing her cheek softly.

"You are a pain in my ass, Dunham." She responded, rolling her eyes at him but holding on to him even tighter than before, "Now sit." She ordered, pointing at the chair. He finally obliged gently lowering himself into the chair as the rest of the boys shouted goodbyes and filed out of the room slowly.

Pete watched curiously as Josie left his side to speak quietly with Swill who grinned down at her before patting her shoulder and hurrying down the hallway, "Now I expect you to drop in occasionally when you're here for therapy. Bring Miss Josie too – everyone around 'ere will miss her."

Dr. Cole ordered him, handing him yet another prescription to add to the numerous ones he'd already been given, "You got it doc – and thank you," he said, holding out his hand, "For everything." Pete shook his hand firmly, distracted when Josie reappeared at his side.

"Ready Pete?" she asked, smiling down at him, brown eyes sparkling.

"Whenever you are," he responded, taking her hand in his and twirling her engagement ring around her finger. The past few days since he'd woken up had been hellish but having Josie constantly by his side especially with the ring sparkling on her finger was all the motivation he really needed.

Saying their final goodbyes to Dr. Cole, Josie wheeled Pete down the hallway and quickly out of the hospital. Pete saw his car sitting waiting for them just past the exit and smiled at the sight. He tried to leap out of the chair, forgetting how slow his new body was. The pain that shot up his leg was a constant reminder of the work he still had to do. Stepping on it gingerly, he reluctantly used the crutches Josie handed him.

"Baby – it's gonna take time, don't push it," she said softly. Pete gritted his teeth at her words, knowing she was right but hating how weak he was, "Come on – in ya go."

Pete raised a terrified eyebrow, "Yer drivin'?"

Josie rolled her eyes as she opened the passenger door for him, "Yes." She replied shortly, helping him into the car. He bit his tongue knowing she was trying to help but to be honest he was petrified, Josie was shit at driving stick.

Fifteen minutes later Josie and Pete lurched into the spot outside their flat and he cringed for about the hundredth time at the grinding of the gears, "See," she said while turning to him with a bright smile, "I did it!"

"Barely," he grumbled though he couldn't help but smile at how excited she was over the small victory of getting them home alive. Pete stepped carefully out of the car and Josie was instantly at his side, helping him up the stairs slowly. He kept pausing every few steps, leg throbbing but happily used the opportunity to kiss Josie softly while they continued their slow journey up to his – _their_, he thought gleefully – flat.

The days spent in a coma were all a dark blur of barely there memory but he knew, without a shadow of a doubt, the visions of Josie and their life together had been his only reason to hold on. He'd woken up to a changed world: Shannon had left his brother and gone back to the States with Ben, the Abbey was partly burnt down, the GSE was in shambles and he'd managed to land himself in a coma for nearly two weeks. The happy ease of his prior life was gone, replaced with a murky future.

"Oi this hurts like fuck," Pete grumbled as they finally reached his door. Josie rolled her eyes and stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek softly.

"Oh relax Dunham, you've been at it for three days and you're already walkin' semi-ok…you'll be fine babe, it'll just take a bit of effort," she said, staring up at him. Pete tucked a stray piece of her bangs behind her ear, leaning forward to kiss her.

"I love you. I'm sorry for what I put you through – I never should've left like that. It's just…revenge for my brother and for you was the only thing on my mind," Pete said, unsure of what else to say. He couldn't help but feel guilty over having left her to stage the fight with Tommy.

Tears shone in her eyes but she blinked them away, "You came back – that's all I ever asked." She squeezed his hand gently before pushing open the door of the flat, "Welcome home Pete."

They walked into the flat together and Pete grinned to see Josie's stuff moved into his place. There were still boxes stacked in the corners, making the place seem even smaller than it already was but to be honest they could both care less. It was their first home together and the size of it didn't matter.

"You all right?" Josie asked in concern and Pete was suddenly aware of just how exhausted he was. This was the most energy he'd expended since he'd woken up and he could do with a lie down.

"Actually I could go for a nap," he said honestly, "But only if you come too." He said hopefully. Josie had been able to stay at the hospital since he woke up but not able to actually stay in the same bed with him. He was still in a whole lot of pain but he'd do anything just to be able to touch her again.

"Oh you thought I'd be sleepin' on the couch? Don't think so mister," she said with a grin on her face.

They made their way towards the bedroom, completely caught up in each other so when Josie shoved the door open they were wholly unprepared for the sight that met their eyes: Colin and Emma, both ass naked and tangled up in each others' limbs.

"Oh my God – EW!" Josie cried out in horror, startling the pair as Emma went flying of the bed and Colin grabbed for a sheet to cover himself.

"Shut the fuckin' door," Colin screamed at her and Pete slammed the door shut, fighting a laugh at the situation as he watched Josie flap her arms in hysterics.

"Oh-my-God-oh-my-God-oh-my-God," Josie mumbled all one word as her face turned crimson, "What in all that is holy is going on? My eyes are burning – _burning_!" she yelled as she paced the small room. She stepped back to the bedroom door and started pounding her fists against, "Get dressed and get out here you…you…you sinners!" she yelped.

Pete bit his lip to stop from laughing as he approached her carefully and pulled her from the door, "Joze – sinners?" he asked, "Fer fuckssake we've had more sex together than I imagine the two of them have had combined in the last five years."

Josie held up a hand, indicating he should really keep his mouth shut, "Don't. I am so scarred for life it's not even funny."

"Aw Joze," Pete said, advancing towards her and resting his crutches against the kitchen table so he could pull her into his arms, "Think of it this way: if it all works out Emma will really be your sister."

She pulled a face and Pete kissed her nose softly as she started to speak, "You don't get it – Colin's…well he's not exactly what you'd call a good guy. He prefers to use women until he tires of them then he brutally dumps them. I don't want to lose Emma because my brother is a horny prick."

"Well," Pete started carefully, unsure how to phrase this without angering her, "To be honest that was me until I met you. Maybe he just needs to meet his match like I did," he said softly, threading his hands through her hair and kissing her forehead gently.

Josie let out a deep sigh and opened her mouth to reply but shut it quickly as the door to the bedroom opened and a red-faced Emma slinked out, followed by Colin who was stubbornly holding his head up with a glare on his face, "Don't even give me that look, you're the idiot who decided to fuck in _my_ bed," Josie said with a glare.

Colin's nostrils flared at her words and he returned her look with an equally hard one, "Not your business Josie Jo, you shoulda knocked."

"Knocked?!" she screeched at her brother and both Pete and Emma cringed at the noise but Colin simply stared at her with a bored look on his face. Pete was surprised that the quietest of her brothers could act like this, he'd come to equate Colin with a more docile man but this side of him was a surprise. He was suddenly tense, concerned only with protecting Josie from her rather large brother.

"Joze, I'm sorry… it just kinda happened, I was going to talk to you about it but you've been through so much I didn't want to upset you even more," Emma cut in, throwing a glare in Colin's direction.

Josie's face softened slightly at her friend, "Not your fault I'm sure Em…but would you mind maybe letting me talk to Col alone?"

Emma nodded her head, looking relieved that Josie wasn't yelling at her and seemed to be concentrating all her anger on her brother, "Sure – call me later." She walked forward and hugged Josie carefully before picking up her bag and turning to leave but was stopped when Colin pulled her into a hug and kissed her deeply, letting her go with a smirk. Emma practically stumbled out the door in her haste to get out of the tense flat.

As the door closed with a click, Josie whirled around to face her brother, "Jesus Christ Colin – how many times have I asked you to not fuck my friends?"

"Christ Joze relax," Colin replied, rolling his eyes at her, "Did you ever think I actually really like her?" he said softly. Pete stared at him, sighing internally that her brother wasn't just playing around with Emma.

But to his surprise Josie gave a derisive snort, "How many times have I heard _that_ line?"

Colin's face turned to stone and he turned to grab his coat, "Whatever – I'll get a hotel if my choices upset you so much." With that he stormed out of the flat before Josie even had a chance to respond.

At the sound of the slamming door Josie cringed and Pete advanced towards her slowly, "Babe?"

"Ugh," she sighed heavily, "I could just kill him sometimes if I didn't love him so much."

Pete smiled at her words and as he reached her he pulled her into his arms, "Never a dull moment with you, huh?"

"I know," she whined softly before standing on tiptoe to press her lips to his, "Fuck the lot of 'em, how about that nap?"

Pete grinned down at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "Thank you for coming back to me," she whispered into his lips.

"Like I'd ever have let you weasel out of marrying me," he took her hand and led her back to his bedroom, limping along slowly but looking forward to falling asleep with her in his arms.

As they reached the bed Josie pulled his hand to stop him from laying down, "Wait!" she cried before he could touch the bed and he paused wondering how she wasn't exhausted, "I have _got_ to change these sheets."

* * *

**He's back, yay! Hope you liked it...lots of thoughts goin' on in my little brain & reviews help me get those ideas onto paper (or Word docs as the case may be.)**


	28. A Whole New World

**Right - so I'm wicked iffy on this chapter and I had to muscle through it so here it is. I trust you'll let me know how you feel. **

**As always: thanks to my kind readers/reviewers. Also I just found out you can reply to reviews and feel like an idiot for not doing that before. Trust that I will from here on out!**

**Annnnd here we!...**

* * *

A pair of callused hands ran up and under Josie's shirt and she sighed softly, smiling sleepily before opening her eyes to see Pete smirking up at her. He placed a kiss on her bare stomach, inching up her body carefully before laying his head on her chest. She ran her hands over his head softly, "Hi you, time is it?" she mumbled, leaning down to kiss the top of his head softly.

"Half passed seven," he said, voice muffled into her chest. She shivered at the vibration and he grinned up at her before a grimace replaced the smile, "Fuck my leg's killin' me." He said, feeling pain shoot up his body at the smallest movement. Frustrated he inched up slowly until he was laying next to her, pulling her into his arms and kissing her head softly, "I can't even properly ravish my gorgeous girl. And it's been weeks since I've been able to touch you."

Josie rolled her eyes, "You've been sleepin' for two weeks – I was the one suffering, I almost had to turn to Swill for bodily comfort," she said with a sly grin.

"Oi," Pete shouted, eyes darkening slightly, "Thas not even close to funny – don't even joke about shit like that."

She maneuvered out of his arms and he gave a disgruntled noise at losing the warmth of her body. He rolled over on to his back to watch her movements, tucking his arms under his head and reclining back. It was like he was seeing everything through new eyes and he was content to just stare at the living, breathing Josie. For some reason he'd been given a second chance yet there were still so many lingering questions and he hadn't a clue as to how to answer them.

But instead of climbing out of the bed like he thought she would and leaving him in his thoughts she straddled his prone form leaning down to kiss his lips softly, "You know you're all I've got, silly," she whispered while her hair tickled his bare chest.

Pete rested his hands on her hips, running his fingertips along her bare skin watching her carefully as sat up gnawing on her lip nervously, "You alright love?" he asked, voice filled with concern.

"Fine," she responded unconvincingly, "Just thinkin' is all."

"Bout what?" he questioned, pulling her down and back into his arms for a hug. Josie chose not to respond, her thoughts having been on the two detectives that had paid her a visit two days before he'd woken up and she had yet to contact them since he'd woken up. The encounter had been weighing heavily on her mind wondering how to broach the subject with Pete.

She kissed his chest softly, closing her eyes at the feel of his hands running along her back, "Just…stuff," she trailed off lamely.

"What kinda stuff?" Pete questioned, tilting her face up towards him so he could stare into her brown eyes. He stroked her face lightly, running his fingertips along the not quite healed scar under her bangs she'd received from the fight at the Abbey.

He felt like he'd been neglecting her since he woke up what with the parade of visitors and the beginning stages of rehab. There was just so much that had been thrown at them that in the quiet of their bedroom he was unsure if they were still the same happy couple they'd been and if they weren't, would they ever be able to get back to that?

Josie stared back at him, eyes filled with doubt and questions that caused Pete's chest to tighten painfully, "Just…wedding stuff and rehab and school and work and well…everything I guess." She finished in a hurry.

"Lots goin' on in there, huh?" Pete asked while trying to keep his voice light. Inside he was a nervous wreck. Here he was: twenty-four years old, just recovering from a near death experience, staring into the eyes of the girl he wanted to give everything to and feeling like all he'd ever given her was heartache and trouble.

She sat back up and looked down at him, smiling softly in an attempt to reassure him, "Baby, I'm fine – just gettin' used to having you around and not having to worry about you not waking up. But there is somethi- " she cutoff shortly at the pounding on the door. Glancing at the clock she realized what an idiot she was as she leapt off Pete and ran to answer the door.

Throwing it open she saw Swill and Ike with matching grins that quickly fell from their faces when they realized she'd clearly just woken up, "Fuck Joze – you said at the hospital you'd have Pete all ready?" Swill whispered furiously at her while caused her to blush deeply.

"We fell asleep," she said by way of lame explanation. And as though to emphasize that point Pete shuffled out of their room shirtless with a pair of sweats hanging low on his hips, not quite fully awake. She licked her lips subconsciously at the sight of his half-naked frame until Swill nudged her shoulder, shaking her out of her decidedly dirty thoughts.

"Oi wat are you two doin' 'ere?" Pete questioned, looking confused at the sight of his mates. He watched Josie carefully as she shifted her weight nervously from right foot to left.

"I'm an idiot is what I am – I ruined the surprise," she pouted at Ike who pulled her into his side, playfully ruffling her already messy hair by way of forgiveness.

"Yeah, this little Yank was meant to have you ready for a welcome back drinkin' session at the newly renovated Abbey," Swill answered gleefully, unable to keep the secret any longer.

Pete's face immediately broke into a huge grin, "Abbey's fixed already?" He was under the impression that the damage was so extensive it would be shut down for months but it seems there was finally a bright spot in the aftermath of the fight.

Ike nodded his head emphatically, "Terry worked frantically to get it done and it just so happens the grand re-opening coincides with you joinin' the livin' world."

Pete rubbed his hands eagerly at the idea of spending a night out with the boys and he grinned when he caught Josie's eye, "You're not a very good planner there love," he said, crossing the room as quickly as his lame leg would allow him, pulling her from Ike's side and into his arms, "But I do love you," he whispered in her ear.

Tucking Josie into his side he turned to face the boys, "We'll meet you lot down there after I throw on my party clothes," he joked, "I'll even act surprised." He said with a smile as the boys waved goodbye to the couple and he closed the door with a click.

He glanced down to see Josie biting her lip sheepishly, "I'm sucha fool," she mumbled, disappointed she'd ruined the surprise.

Pete grinned at her blush, taking her chin in his hand to tilt her face towards him, "No yer not – you're perfect." He said, placing his lips on hers, "Now – since we're so pressed for time I must insist you shower with me."

Josie squealed as Pete swept her off her feet, placing most of his weight on his good leg as he walked them both towards the bathroom, "Oh my God Pete, put me down! You'll hurt your leg carrying me," she shrieked loudly.

He rolled his eyes at her, kissing her forehead softly, "Oh relax gorgeous, I've got you." He said, holding her to his chest even tighter as he marched into the bathroom with her. Dropping her to the tiled floor he pulled her shirt up and off of her body, grinning at the sight of her and leaning down to suck lightly on her neck.

Josie breathed in sharply at the familiar sensation, "You plannin' on us making your surprise party tonight?"

"If my other option is having you in the shower, in our bed, maybe on the kitchen table…" he whispered, causing Josie to throw her head back with a laugh and he nibbled on the soft skin at the base of her neck, "Then no – I am not planning on making my surprise party."

"Ass," she whispered quietly to him, rubbing the nape of his neck softly, "We're gonna have to make an appearance but I'm thinkin' after tonight we spend the rest of the weekend locked in _our_ bedroom until we have to face reality again on Monday."

"You think I'd ever say no to that?" he grinned down at her before switching on the shower and quickly removing both their clothes, "Now," he said, smacking her bum lightly, "In you go."

Pete felt his heart stutter slightly as he gazed down at Josie as he eagerly joined her, smirking as the water streamed down her naked body, "You, Ms Murphy-soon-to-be-Mrs. Dunham are just the most perfect thing in my life."

"Less talky, more touchy," she said with a grin, pulling his face down to hers in a searing kiss.

* * *

"Oi! Bout time you two pulled yerselves outta bed to join us!" Ned shouted as soon as he spied Josie and Pete walking through the door, his words causing a furious blush to paint her cheeks. Pete stared in amazement at the freshly fixed up Abbey that was currently packed with all the boys, Steve (a bandage still wrapped around his neck), his mum, Paddy, numerous school-mates…it seemed like everyone he'd ever met had come out for the evening.

"You planned this?" he whispered into Josie's ear, "Maybe yer not sucha terrible little party planner after all."

Josie grinned up at him, rolling her eyes slightly, "Can't believe you doubted me even a little." She stood on tiptoes to plant a soft kiss on his cheek, "Now let's forget about the disaster our life has been lately and enjoy the fact that we're both alive, have a wacky, yet dedicated group of friends and family who are willing to get us both decidedly drunk soo lets get pissed."

"Sounds fantastic to me love," he said with a smile before dragging her towards the bar where they were both enveloped in hugs and pats on the back from the grouping of people.

An hour or so later Josie was leaning over the bar, chatting with Terry who was practically bursting at the sight of his fixed up pub filled with people when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around to find a timid Emma who was fighting a blush just at the look of her, "Hi," she said cautiously.

Josie rolled her eyes and tipsily pulled Emma into a hug, "Stop actin' like I'm going to beat you up – I understand," she said sincerely, "Colin can be quite charming when the mood strikes him."

Emma grinned back at her friend, "That he can. But I am sorry Joze, to have put this on you when you're going through enough."

Josie waved a casual hand, spilling her beer in the process, "Em, its fine...seriously. Now, have a pint!" she shouted and Terry quickly obliged by pouring a glass of red wine for her.

Emma grinned back at him, feeling a sense of comfort over how he remembered her drink order and how eagerly the boys all came over to chat with her. She'd always been envious of Josie and her relationship with Pete as well as her close friendship with the boys. Life had been so uncomplicated before she met Josie but it had also been boring. Now it was anything but.

Glancing around the crowded pub she turned her attention back to Josie who was staring dreamily at Pete who was currently in a heated argument with Swill about who was better at pool, "Nice to see everything's getting back to normal, eh?"

Josie gave a wide smile, "It is definitely nice. You still plannin' on being my maid of honor?"

Emma huffed slightly, "Obviously – now I'll have help planning since you're finally assured you'll get a wedding."

Josie rolled her eyes, "Sorry I wasn't keen on planning a wedding to a lifeless body." She shuddered at her own words, the wounds still fresh from almost losing Pete as she again glanced over to see him standing in the corner, pint in hand as he argued away with Swill.

"I know love, but no worries now. You two can put this all behind you and continue being the fairytale perfect couple," Emma replied, following Josie's gaze, biting back a jealous sigh as she saw Pete lock eyes with Josie and give her a quick wink. The look that passed between them was so tender she felt like she was intruding just by seeing it. She tore her eyes away from the couple to look back at Josie who was still staring at Pete with a foolish look on her face.

Emma gave an awkward cough to get Josie's attention and it worked as her friend turned back to her saying, "So…you and Colin…just how did it happen and just what is goin' on between you too?"

The blonde bit her lip in thought, wondering how much detail to give, "Erm, it happened the first night he was here," she barely registered the surprised gasp from Josie continuing, "And you'd gone back to the hospital for the night. Neither of us really wanted to go home, we were too amped and worried about you, so we went to a pub for a few drinks. And well…one thing led to another…and we ended up in bed together."

"I see," Josie said face a blank mask, "Well…how has it been since then?"

Emma stared dreamily off into space as she thought back over the past few days with Colin, "Perfect. I really like him Joze," she confessed.

"That's great Em," she replied with false enthusiasm, "Just…just be careful is all. Col is a great guy but to be honest none of us were ever very good at the whole serious relationship thing. I think its cause we didn't have a healthy parental relationship to learn from."

Emma scoffed slightly, disbelief clearly written on her face, "Joze – you and Pete are _the_ couple. I mean sure, you guys fight because you're both so hard headed and stubborn, you've hit some bumps but you're _made_ for each other. It's like he's your missing puzzle piece."

Josie flushed at her words, "It's like that now but before I wasn't so good at being with one guy for a long period of time but…I guess you're right, it just took the right guy," she responded, "Well, I hope Colin's your puzzle piece because then you'd be family!" she shouted happily as the thought came to her mind. Shrugging at the weird scenario she now found herself in she decided to not interfere and let it go where it may. "Now," turning to face the bar she beckoned Terry towards her, "Shots please – two for me and my faux-sister."

Terry grinned at the two girls and Emma sighed in relief that Josie had taken it all so well. She'd been a nervous wreck that Josie would flip out and end their friendship, "I love you Joze," Emma said, nudging her shoulder into Josie's.

"Right back atcha English rose," Emma grinned back at her and the two girls clinked the shot glasses together before throwing them back. Josie smacked her lips happily, wiping a little dribble off her chin.

She opened her mouth to say something but jumped in surprise at the pair of hands that covered her eyes, "Guess who?" a voice whispered.

Emma watched as Josie giggled while Pete nuzzled his face into her neck before taking her chin softly to guide her lips to his. Emma felt another jealous wave bubble in her stomach and she turned away from the scene to avoid feeling like a terrible person by envying her friend's relationship. She glanced around the pub, wondering who on earth she'd talk to when her gaze landed on the door that had just opened to reveal Colin stepping through. Her breath caught in her throat at the sight of the tall, lean man with the thick brown hair, looking him up and down eagerly.

She gave a timid smile in his direction when he caught her eye, heart pounding when he gave her a huge grin and beckoned her towards him. She leapt off the stool and hurried towards Colin. Once she reached him her heart stuttered as he pulled her into his arms, "Hi Ems." He whispered into her ear, causing a tickling sensation to run down her spine.

"Hi," Emma whispered back, "So, I had a chat with your sister," she said brightly.

Colin arched an eyebrow, "Oh yeah? What'd she say?"

"She bought me a shot and said she hopes it works out," Emma said, trying to act casual though inside butterflies were fluttering frantically in her stomach that there would be _something_ to work out.

"That right?" he asked, eyes sparkling, "Well Josie Jo has always been quick to anger and even quicker to forgive."

"Being your sister I'm sure she had to be," Emma joked and Colin pulled her into his side, placing a soft kiss on the crown of her blonde head.

"I suppose I should make good with her, huh? Poor muffins been through enough," he said with a grin before pushing through the crowd to reach Josie and Pete who were still wrapped up in each other by the bar.

When they reached the couple Colin broke away from Emma in order to yank Josie out of Pete's arms, spinning her through the air, "Ello Josie Jo, forgive me yet?"

"Suppose so," she said with a shrug before her face hardened, "But you break her heart I break your face – got it?" Josie said, pointing an angry finger at her brother.

Pete bit back a laugh at the grim look Colin wore as he was quite familiar with how scary she could be when her anger was directed at you, "Yes Joze, Scout's honor."

Josie stared back at her brother appraisingly, wondering if he actually felt something for Emma but letting it go for now, preferring ignorance about her brother and her best friend's relationship. Shrugging it off, she planted a quick kiss on Colin's cheek before turning back to Pete wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling his lips to hers.

"Mm, I'm quite happy right now," she whispered into his lips.

"Careful Joze," he murmured back, "You'll jinx us."

Josie through her head back with a laugh, "That's crap – someone up there owes me some happiness."

"Yes they do love," Pete said, rubbing her neck softly, "Can't believe how many people are packed into this place," he said as he scanned the room.

"Well lots of people missed you," Josie replied, smiling softly as she locked eyes with Steve, "You're brother seems…better."

Pete glanced over to see his brother having a pint at the end of the bar with Terry, looking decidedly down with a white bandage still wrapped around his neck, "He heard from Shannon yet?" she asked him curiously.

"Not that I know of, none of the boys have 'eard from Matt either," he said quietly.

Josie looked up at Pete, knowing what he was thinking. She turned his face towards hers, "It's not your fault she left."

He stared down into her eyes, feeling the familiar bubble of guilt he'd been experiencing since he'd woken up and found everything in disarray, "It sorta is Joze…this started with the GSE, _my_ Firm – and I dragged Steve back into it, got you hurt in the process and nearly myself killed."

"So after all that I think you've suffered enough, you don't need to feel guilt over your brother's marriage on top of all that. Shannon left, babe, you didn't force her to go," Josie tried to reason with him but inside Pete's thoughts were running wild. The booze had mixed rather unpleasantly with the pills he was on for his leg and it was causing his mind to turn in directions he would never usually go under sane circumstances.

"It's just…I -…there's the – " he continued to start and stop, trying to articulate what was going on in his mind but finally he just let the words tumble from his mouth, "It's just Shan and Steve were so in love, so happy. They have a kid together – and if she can leave him so easily…" he trailed off.

Josie's eyes widened in shock at where he seemed to be thinking, "You think I could just leave you like that?"

Pete's head moved just slightly and he now stared into the narrowed eyes of a very angry Josie, "Screw you Pete – I sat next to you in that hospital for nearly two weeks, cried myself to sleep every single night while I prayed you'd wake up and you have the nerve to think that I could actually leave you?" she snapped at him.

He cringed at the fire in her eyes, "I'm sorry Joze…I'm just all outta sorts. I still just can't wrap my head around all that's gone on and it was always so easy with us, I figured you wouldn't be up to the challenge," he bumbled along stupidly, digging himself in deeper.

Josie scoffed, rolling her eyes at him while gripping his face in her hands, forcing him to meet her stare, "Easy? You think this has been _easy_?" she whispered forcefully, "Christ Pete, you must have suffered a great deal of memory loss after the Warf – the two of us fight all the time, mostly because we're both stubborn to the point of idiocy, we've broken up once, nearly a second time come to think and within twenty four hours of the night we got engaged we both ended up in the hospital. Nothing about us has been easy – which is what makes us _us_. If this was easy, it wouldn't be love, you stupid twat."

Her words finally sunk in when she kissed his lips softly, tugging softly on his lower lip with her teeth, "Fuck's sake I'm a terrible guy. You just make me so stupid with your beauty."

"God you're such an idiot," Josie said lightly, a smile playing on her face.

"We allowed to leave yet?" Pete whispered into her ear and she shuddered as he nibbled her earlobe softly.

Josie gave a false loud yawn, "Boy am I just knackered," she yelled out to no one in particular. Pete took his hand in hers and slowly began to lead her out of the bar as quick as his limp would allow them.

They'd only made it halfway across the room when the door swung open to reveal the two detectives that had shown up at Pete's before he'd woken up.

The color drained from Josie's face at the sight and Pete looked down at her in concern, clueless as to who the two strangers were, "Who're they?" he asked gruffly, eyes clouding in confusion.

Josie remained horrorstruck, silently watching the two men as they scanned the room, tensing up when Detective Cross' eye's lingered on her and Pete. She gripped his hand tightly, jaw clenching, "Cops," she breathed out the word.

Pete's jaw set firmly, he straightened up as best he could and pulled Josie into his side protectively, "How do you know?" he said under his breath as they both stood there, tensely watching the two men push through the crowd towards them.

"They came by the flat a couple days before you woke up," she admitted cautiously, "I didn't know how to tell you. I refused to talk to them until you woke up…I was – I was meant to call them as soon as you came out of it."

Anger flowed through him at the sight of the two men, livid they had the nerve to come into the Abbey like this let alone the fact that they'd tried to intimidate Josie. He clenched his free fist as they came closer, preparing for the encounter but to both Josie and Pete's shock the two men walked right by them, continuing towards the bar.

Walking directly towards Steve.

The couple hurried after them, reaching Steve and Terry seconds after the two men did, "Steve Dunham?" Detective Cross asked gruffly.

Steve's face was a mask of confusion as his eyes flicked back and forth at both men, "Erm, yeah – I'm him. Can I help you?" he said politely.

"Yes – we need you to come with us," the younger man said arrogantly.

Steve crossed his arms over his chest tightly and Pete took a step closer, glaring down over the younger man, "What for?" Steve asked not so politely.

"You're wanted for questioning in the death of Tommy Hatcher," Detective Cross said, trying to keep his voice low so that only those closest heard him.

At his words, Josie's heart dropped to her knees and Pete's grip on her tightened even harder. She couldn't believe her ears: the man that plagued her nightmares was dead.

"Hatcher's dead?" Pete asked, unable to keep his mouth shut.

"Yes – and we'll need to speak to your brother," Josie's eyebrows shot up that the older man knew who Pete was, "You are Pete Dunham, correct?"

Pete nodded his head in response, "Nice to see you up and about," he said evenly, no emotion betraying his thoughts as his eyes flickered down to Josie who was now tucked so tightly into Pete's side she was having trouble breathing, "Miss Josie." He nodded at her.

"Sir – Detective," she started tentatively, "How can Steve be involved? Both him and Pete were in the hospital for extended periods of time and are still recovering at this moment. They can't possibly be involved," she stated firmly, staring pleadingly into the soft gray eyes that stared down at her.

"Hatcher Sr. is still with us – he's made an accusation that Mr. Dunham may have some information regarding the death of his son: Tommy Jr." he stated and the look of horror on Steve's face was plain as day as the younger, arrogant detective took his arm roughly and led him through the stunned crowd.

* * *

**AH! So this little idea came to me just a few hours ago & I hope it threw a little twist to the plot. Let me know what you thought :)**


	29. Not Fair

**Ugh, I hit a terrible bout of writers block but here it is finally. Shorter than most have been lately but oh well, enjoy muffins :)**

* * *

"How could you not tell me that coppers came by to see you?!" Pete questioned roughly and Josie's grip on the steering wheel tightened noticeably.

"Oh I don't know Pete," she responded through gritted teeth, "Maybe because up until two days ago you were in a coma and only _just_ got out of the hospital this morning?"

Pete sighed, rubbing his hands over his head in frustration, "_Fuck_!" he cried out as he slammed his fist into the dashboard causing Josie to jump slightly and her eyes widen in alarm. He noticed the slight look of fear on her face and bit down on his lip hard. Reaching a hand out, he gently pried her left hand off the steering wheel and squeezed it gently, rubbing his thumb over her engagement ring, "I'm sorry Joze, I'm takin' this out on the wrong person."

"It's ok," she mumbled, trying to smile reassuringly at Pete but failing miserably as she continued to drive as quickly as she dared to the police station. She bit her lip, trying to concentrate on the warmth of Pete's hand in hers and the feel of his fingers across softly rubbing her knuckles but all she could think about was the men leading Steve out of the bar, accusing him of…_murder_, she thought with a shudder.

The rest of the ride passed in silence with Pete staring out the window, shaking his good leg nervously while clenching Josie's hand tightly in his. _How could this have happened?_ He thought, mind running in overdrive as he thought back to that fateful day – the day Steve left the GSE:

"_Holy fuck," Pete whispered as he sat in the quiet of the kitchen, seated across the table from Steve after hearing about what his brother had supposedly seen, "Dead?" he managed to get the word out, disbelief etched on his face._

"_Yes," Steve whispered, closing his eyes, only seeing the vision of the young boy being crushed under the boots of men he grew up with, men he fought with – men he loved like brothers. _

"_Fuck me," Pete breathed out, rubbing his head and wincing at the state his knuckles were in from his own fighting. Tommy Hatcher's son was dead – and it was the GSE's fault, there'd be hell to pay, that was for sure. "What're you gonna do?"_

_Steve took a deep breath, running a hand through his shoulder-length, blonde hair pulling at the ends roughly, "I'm out," he managed to choke out to his younger brother. Pete's eyes widened and narrowed. _

"_Out?" Pete asked, _there's no way he's saying what I think he's saying_, he thought in disbelief. _

"_I'm not doin' this shit anymore Pete – I'm not goin' to any more matches, no more Abbey – I'm leavin' the GSE," he said with no emotion. _

_Pete shoved out of his chair, jumping to his feet as he stared down at his brother, "Leave the GSE! Bruv – yer 'avin a bubble, it was just an accident, coulda happened to any number of blokes." He said but backed up when he saw the fury on Steve's face._

"_An accident?" Steve whispered coldly, gripping the edge of the table, "A little boy is dead, Pete – _dead_. And do you know 'os fault that is?" _

"_Bruv, it ain – " he tried to reason with him, make him see that this would blow over and that the fuckin' Major could _not_ leave the GSE. Before he could get the words out, Steve was on his feet, a deadly look in his eye._

"_Don't," Steve hissed, "It was my Firm that just stomped the life outta the son of an enemy. My Firm, my fault – I'm out." He said, striding out the door and away from the life of the GSE_.

"Pete?" Josie's voice broke through his memories and he turned to stare into her concerned brown eyes, "We're here."

He glanced through the windshield to see New Scotland Yard looming over them, "Great –" he said without emotion. He opened the door carefully stepping out gingerly, feeling slightly aggravated when Josie came around and securely wrapped her arm around his waist, "Thanks," he said roughly, feeling helpless at the fact that his girlfriend had to help him walk.

Josie rolled her eyes, "Pete – stop," she said forcefully as she pulled him to a stop, "I get you feel emasculated that I'm trying to help you but suck it up – you need me. And you need to understand that your life is my life now, so quit pissing and moaning. We've more important matters to deal with right now," she said softly, trying to reason with him that he needed her.

Pete stared into Josie's eyes, feeling his heart sink at the way she pled with him. First he nearly gets himself killed and now he was still hurting her with his stubbornness, "I'm sorry baby, I'm just gettin' used to bein' up and about and all of a sudden I wake to find a changed world. I don't mean to take it out on you…" he trailed off, choosing instead to place a hard kiss on her lips. "I love you," he said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear.

"S'not fair," she mumbled against his lips, "You kiss me and I immediately forget all the shit you've pulled."

He gave a slight smirk at her before remembering where they were and what still lay ahead of them, "Ditto – now let's go deal with another fuckin' disaster. Ya know, my life used to be relatively normal until you stumbled into it."

"Bite me Dunham because I highly doubt that. Now, come on." She said with a slight smile on her face that was quickly erased as they walked hand in hand into the building towards whatever lay in store for Steve and by extension Pete and the GSE, ignorant of the steel gray eyes that followed their path with delighted interest.

Three hours later Josie was scrunched up in a chair with her head on Pete's lap, fighting to keep her eyes open. Pete shifted uncomfortably and out of the corner of her eye she saw him bite his lip in an effort to hide the grimace of pain, "You alright?" she asked softly.

Pete nodded, still biting on his lip hard but voicing his concern through the pain, "Christ what the fuck can they possibly be askin' him? I don't know why he didn't just say no."

Josie rolled her eyes at him, "Doesn't really work that way." She mumbled before staring up at him in concern. She reached a hand out and touched his cheek softly, "How's the leg?" she questioned casually.

"Its fine," he mumbled through clenched teeth.

"You are just a terrible liar," Josie said quietly as she sat up then pulled herself into a standing position.

Pete looked up at her startled, "Where 're you goin'?"

"Your leg hurts," she arched an eyebrow at him, holding her hand up to stop the inevitable protest, "There are some painkillers in the car so I'm going to go out and grab them."

Josie rolled her eyes again as he went to stand, "I'll come with you – it's a bit late to be wanderin' about alone."

"Pete – the building I'll be outside of is the police station, if I'm not safe here well then…this city has a terrible hooligan problem," she said with a slight smile. "I'll be back before you have time to miss me."

"Not bloody likely Joze, but hurry, yeah?"

Josie nodded her head slightly as she walked quickly down the hall and out to the car.

* * *

"Now – had you been drinking that day Mr. Dunham?"

Steve rubbed his temples tiredly, wincing at the pain that still emanated from his throat, "It was seven years ago…I – I ah, I don't know, probably…" he trailed off stupidly.

He jumped as the detective's hands banged down onto the cold, steel table he was seated behind, "Bullshit. All you boys do is drink before those matches then you go to the match, cheer a bit and beat the fuck out of little kids."

"DiNozzo – enough, get out." Detective Cross cut in, throwing a cold glare at his partner and waiting until he left before turning to face Steve, "Listen, I get it's been years since this incident but we 'ave to follow up after the accusation Mr. Hatcher has put forth. Unfortunately for you, there are no CCTV tapes to corroborate either your statement or his so we've got to ask you to describe – in your own words – what happened. Then you'll be free to go."

Steve ran a hand through his hair, running through the past carefully, reliving the memory of the day he'd watched the life die out from behind Tommy Jr's eyes. And thinking how that moment had changed his entire life. He thought over the blissful years after, his life with Shannon and the short time he'd had with Ben. And how it was all shit now. There was no reason to cling to his former life, no reason to protect the GSE.

The GSE had destroyed everything he held dear in his life and it seemed it would do the same to his younger brother's as well. He knew Pete was outside waiting for him, knew that Josie was waiting as well, the ever faithful fiancé. He'd lost his shot at a happy life with his wife but he'd be damned if the GSE would do the same to that sweet girl too. With their future in mind he began to talk.

He told them everything. About the fight, about how he left the GSE after that, how Tommy had always blamed him for his son's death though it wasn't by his hand. He described seeing the men he knew and had grown up with fighting and he couldn't be sure who delivered the fatal blow. Steve told them everything he knew except the names of the men who'd been directly fighting with Tommy Jr. Regardless of all that he'd been through, he still would not – could not – break his loyalty to them.

Finally falling silent, Steve felt exhaustion taking over, "And that's it – I hadn't set foot in the Abbey since that day until two weeks ago due to unforeseen circumstances involving my brother-in-law."

"Ah yes, a Matt Buckner, correct?" Detective Cross said as the pieces were finally fitting into place. Steve nodded in affirmation and Detective Cross leaned back in his chair, staring at the man across the table in contemplation.

This had been the most frustrating case to work as there was barely a case to work on. No one was filing charges against any individual, this entire mess had started from the arson that had occurred at the Brigid Abbey pub but had quickly expanded into an increasing amount of crimes being brought into view. Unfortunately, Detective Cross had been stonewalled in every attempt at learning the truth from every individual involved…until Tommy Hatcher had come to him singing his song of woe that had led him to pick up Steve Dunham when he'd been initially interested in Pete Dunham and his beautiful fiancé.

Drumming his fingers on the table in thought he stared at the man who looked exhausted and whose neck was still wrapped in gauze from a run in with God knew who, "Alright. Sounds like it was simply a fight that got out of hand, doesn't sound like it was due to yer direct involvement though. You'll be free to go in a few minutes but I just have a few more quest – " a frantic banging on the two-way mirror interrupted him mid sentence.

"One moment," he said apologetically as he walked hurriedly out of the room and into the adjacent viewing room, "What?" he snapped at DiNozzo who he'd had to boot out of the room earlier.

"Sir – look," he pointed at one of the CCTV monitors that were trained to the outside of the building. Detective Cross felt his blood freeze as his eyes stared in shock at the sight of an unaware Josie being followed by a frighteningly familiar form.

* * *

Josie walked hurriedly towards the car, wishing they'd been able to find a closer spot…actually she wished they were cuddled in their bed and not at the police station at all but that was besides the point. Once she finally spotted the car she picked up her pace even more and rushed over to it. Yanking the passenger-side door open she rummaged in the glove-box for the missing pills, sighing in frustration that she wasn't able to locate them immediately.

Suddenly, she felt the lightest touch run through her hair and she rolled her eyes that Pete had followed her out, "I told you I didn't need a bloody escort babe – I'm almost done. Ah-hah!" she cried as she hand wrapped around the pill bottle. A grin on her face, she whirled around in triumph, "Here we are Pet – " cutting off in terror and stumbling back against the car.

"Ello love," Tommy Hatcher said with a grin, "Ow are we?" he asked as though they'd happily run into each other in the market rather than a deserted street at three in the morning, "I must say I love your name for me _babe_, so sweet."

Josie felt the panic rising up from her stomach and it felt as though a large walnut had become lodge in her throat. She stared in terror back at the steel gray eyes wondering what the hell was going to happen. She tried her best to glare back at him but found it impossible as all she could think of was this was the man that had nearly killed Pete.

She opened and closed her mouth silently, frozen with fear. Finally she managed to clear her throat, "What're you doing here?" she tried to reply fiercely but it came out as a timid squeak.

Tommy waved a hand casually, "Just luck you'd 'ave to say. 'Ere I was just hopin' for a glimpse of ol' Stevie bein' hauled in for questioning and who follows but his little brother and his gorgeous fiancé." He said happily, taking another step towards her so that he was now only inches from her face. He took a piece of her hair in his fingers, twirling the lock a bit before slamming his palm on the top of the roof.

Josie jumped and she pressed herself even further into the cold metal of the car, "This isn't very smart you know – right outside a police station," she said, trying to distract him and keep him talking versus letting him carry on and possibly hurt her.

"Not 'smaht' eh?" he mimicked her Boston accent which seemed to come out stronger during times of extreme stress. "Lemme tell you what ain't smaht – the Dunham brothers thinkin' they don't have to pay for the death of my son. And before," he continued with a vicious smile, "I thought it'd be best if the two of them paid with their lives but now…well now I see just how important you are to them and the GSE as a whole. Terry's little protégé, engaged to a Dunham and mates with the top blokes of the GSE – _you'll_ be my perfect revenge."

Josie felt her breath catch in her throat and if possible her eyes widened even more in terror, "I can't imagine how you feel losing your son like that but is killing me really going to make you feel better?"

"No – killing you won't make me feel better," Josie sighed in relief, but it was short lived when he continued, "However, seeing the anguish on all their faces, most especially the Dunham boys when you're dead, will."

"So you're just going to kill me – in front of a police station – in order to exact some sick revenge because you stupidly led your child into a dangerous lifestyle?" the words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them and the twisting face of rage that met her should have been more than enough warning to stop but she found herself launching into a tirade as though it was some throwaway argument with Pete. She jabbed a finger into the older man's chest, her voice laced with anger, "You allowed him to go to matches where you _knew_ he'd be in danger of violence then you're just so damned shocked to find that there are consequences to your actions."

"You've no idea what yer talkin' about," Tommy said and all of a sudden his large hand was around her neck, squeezing lightly but his grip tightened as he continued, "I 'ad to watch my son's skull crushed beneath Dunham's boys boots, no regard for his life."

Stubbornly, Josie continued, "You're the one who had no regard for his life," she just barely managed to breath out through the vice-like grip Hatcher now had on her neck, "You should've protected him, told him to stay away while you fought. It is no one's fault but your own." She managed to finish as spots began to appear in her vision and she felt herself fading away.

With a great deal of effort she began to struggle, trying to beat him away with her fists but Tommy effortlessly swatted them away and pinned them behind her back, "You little bitch – seems I was mistaken: killing you will make me feel better."

Josie blinked sleepily, fighting to keep her wits about her and the anger that still boiled at this man who was trying – again – to ruin her and Pete's life together. She managed to kick out and luck was with her as she connected with his nether regions and he gave a loud grunt as his grip loosened slightly.

But it wasn't enough, her words and the kick had only served to make him more resolute in ending her life, "I can see it now," Tommy whispered tauntingly, "How Pete will cry and Steve will blame 'imself. Don't think we don't all know about the hold you 'ave on those boys. Bye bye Miss Josie," he said slowly.

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and her breaths were coming in gasps. _God – this isn't fair_, she thought bitterly, _would you give me and Pete a fighting chance? Let us be happy just for a little bit, just let us live a life together_. Her thoughts jumbled about in her head as she pled with the Almighty but all she could see behind her eyelids was the sight of Pete smirking down at her, tenderness and love shining in his eyes. _Not fair_, was the final thought before it all went black.

* * *

**Right - so that was it! Thoughts?? I do so love reviews, they make me so so happy & I hope you're enjoying it.**


	30. Lucky

**So, here we are again: I feel like this chapter ended up as more of a filler-ish type entry but oh well. I flew through the beginning of writing this then kinda lost steam at the end. Hope you enjoy it the who way through.**

**As always thank you to my reviewers, I just adore you :)**

* * *

Muffled voices. The scuff of a chair against linoleum. Blinding pain.

Josie tried to opened her eyes slowly. As they fluttered open she was met by so many faces she snapped her eyes shut tight before opening them again. As she blinked away the blurriness she finally managed to take in her surroundings. It seemed that she was laid up in what she could only assume, based on how terrible she felt, was a hospital bed. She glanced from face to face to see Ronan, her father, Eamon, Colin, Emma and Terry all staring down at her with concern-filled eyes.

"Wha – what happened?" she croaked out, her throat feeling as though someone had dragged a rusty nail along it.

Her dad, who was seated on her right side by her head reached out to softly brush her hair away from her face and leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead, "You were attacked Joze, just barely made it." He said, voice cracking with emotion.

She glanced around the room, eyes wide with terror and she clutched tightly onto the sheets, twisting the fabric in her hand, "Pete?" she whispered out before painfully clearing her throat. "Where's Pete? Is he ok? Where is _he_?" she managed to cry out, becoming so frantic that he wasn't there to the point she almost missed the dark look that passed between Ronan and Eamon. Almost. "What? What is going on?" she demanded of her family.

Josie's eyes swiveled back and forth from her two oldest brothers and her father who all wore matching looks of mingled anger and guilt. When neither of the three responded she looked up at Terry who was on her left side, directly across from her father, "_Terry_," she pled with him, "_Please_ tell me what's going on?"

Terry gave a hostile look in her father's direction before looking down at her softly, "Josie…he's ok love."

Josie leaned back in the bed, feeling only slightly relieved at his words she stared up at Terry questioningly, "If he's ok, where is he?"

Again: a glare from Terry thrown in the direction of her father and two brothers. She absorbed the dark, angry looks all three wore and finally noted the discomfort of Colin and Emma who were at the foot of her bed. Her question was met by silence. She felt her temper rising through the pain of her neck and throat and as she was about to force someone to answer the door swung open to reveal Dr. Cole.

He gave her a large smile that wasn't quite genuine as the tension in the room was so thick it'd be tough to cut it with a chainsaw, "Miss Murphy – when I told you to drop in, I meant of your own volition," he scolded her lightly, "Now, how's the patient?"

"Just woke up sir," her father answered for her.

She glared up at her father before answering, "I am just fine – where's Pete?" she asked again, hell bent on finding out what was going on and knowing the good doctor wouldn't lie to her.

Dr. Cole pulled a face before answering cautiously, "In the waiting room. Now – let's check your vitals." He launched into examining her before she could ask the follow up of just why Pete was in the waiting room and not by her bed.

Tapping her foot impatiently, Josie answered all of Dr. Cole's questions about how she was feeling and if she remembered everything, etc. etc. Unfortunately, her memory of the attack was a bit dim, as though she was viewing it from the wrong end of a telescope.

"Well you seem to be alright," Dr. Cole said, garnering a collective sigh of relief from those crowded around her bed. "You sustained another concussion when you hit the pavement but your x-rays look ok. You're used to those symptoms but your neck is also going to be pretty sore for awhile and you'll have a rather unattractive necklace of bruises – I suggest colorful scarves." He said with a slight smile before turning serious again, "Now, I want to keep you under observation for a few more hours then you'll be free to go home."

"Thank you Dr. Cole," Josie replied, each word still burning her throat painfully and she was just becoming aware of terrible throbbing in her head. She waited until he exited the room before turning an accusing eye on her dad.

"Daddy – what is going on? What are you doing here? Why is Pete in the waiting room instead of in here?" she questioned as angrily as she could. The three sentence outburst exhausted her and she leaned back into the bed, drumming her fingers against her thigh while waiting for some kind of answer. She'd realized belatedly that it was stranger that her dad and brothers _were_ here than it was that Pete wasn't.

Her dad gave her a tired smile and she gave a small one back, "Well…we're here to take you home." He stated and the smile instantly fell from her face.

Josie swallowed hard, "Home?" she asked, feeling a cold sense of dread at what seemed to be coming.

"Joze – you're not safe here. You've got to come home," Eamon said in what he clearly thought was a soothing tone.

Her mouth dropped open at their words as Ronan continued, "You were meant to be home already," he said, throwing a meaningful look in Colin's direction.

Josie could barely believe what her family was saying to her and she stared at Colin through watery eyes, "Col? What are they talking about?"

Colin blew a long puff of air out and gave her a sheepish look, "I'm sorry Josie…after what happened in the Abbey we had a family meeting and decided it was best you came home. I was supposed to just come over and collect you. But…" he threw a furtive look in Emma's direction, "When I saw how tore up you were I couldn't make you leave Pete. I thought I could just protect you better if I was here."

More tears stung her eyes and she stared at the collected group in silence. Emma clung tightly to Colin's hand, Ronan had his arms crossed against his chest tensely, Eamon and her father flanked his sides as though concerned Josie was going to try to escape and Terry stood in the corner with an openly hostile look on his face as he glared at the three men.

"You 'decided'?" she questioned incredulously, "I'm sorry…seems you're under the impression that I am still a child. I. Am. Not. Leaving. This is my home now, _Pete_ is my home," Josie responded stubbornly. She looked towards Terry, "Now, could you please tell my fiancé to come in here?"

Terry nodded and winked at her as he walked towards the door but was thwarted by Ronan who had crossed the small hospital room in two steps and was now blocking the door. The two men stood toe to toe and Josie tried to leap from the bed to stop them. While in the process she yanked out the IV that she had barely noticed in her arm and gave a loud cry of pain.

Again the attention of the room shifted to her and she was suddenly very aware of the hospital gown she was in, complete with the open back that was threatening to reveal her naked backside. She twisted her arm around to hold the gown closed but still stood in the middle of the room glaring at her brother, "Get away from him. I am not leaving England, I am marrying Pete and you lot aren't going to say anything to change that."

"Like hell we aren't Josephine Bailey – you are coming home with us," her father roared at her and she cringed back slightly, knowing middle-name use was a clear sign of a terrible outburst. "We almost _lost_ you. Twice! And it's all because of that boy and the thugs he runs around with. You may be bound and determined to throw your life away but we will not stand by and watch that happen. You are everything to us, we can_not_ lose you. And that is why you are coming home with us and you are coming home with us _tomorrow_!"

Josie's face turned bright red with anger and her neck still throbbed in pain but there was no way she couldn't argue back, "He is not some _boy_. He is the man I am going to marry and I am not leaving him."

She stood as defiant as she could in her current state of undress and her father along with Ronan and Eamon glared at her in frustration, "This discussion is not over, young lady," her father promised, "You rest a bit – we'll be back in a few hours to get you." With those final words he strode out of the room followed by Ronan and Eamon who both looked only slightly less angry than her father did.

Josie stared at the back of the door that had just slammed shut and she glanced around at the remaining faces in the room. Emma rushed towards her and escorted her back to the bed carefully while Terry crept out of the room. Colin came around to her other side and rubbed her arm gently, "Josie Jo – I'm so sorry."

"How could you do this to me?" she whispered pathetically to her brother. Tears streamed down her face and Emma perched on the bed, pulling her friend into a hug.

"We were worried sick about you. I was meant to come over and collect you, bring you home and make sure you stayed safe," Colin replied before catching Emma's eye, "But I found I didn't quite want to leave…and I couldn't take you away from Pete. It would kill you."

Josie nodded her head at him, "Thank you I guess – for being on my side now."

The three sat in silence as Josie continued to cry softly, "You'll be fine, love. We'll figure something out." Emma promised her quietly.

"How can this be happening? How can I choose between my family and my future?" she asked in frustration, tears still pouring down her face and when she glanced down at her left hand she began to sob at the sight of a ring-less ring finger, _where the hell is my engagement ring?_ She thought, if possible feeling even worse than she had before.

Curling up in a ball in the hospital bed with her thoughts racing she started feeling sick from the pain in her heart. Emma rubbed her back while she cried and Colin finally filled her in on what had happened two nights ago with Hatcher, trying to distract her from her aching heart by explaining the reason for her physical pain.

Apparently, Detective Cross and DiNozzo had seen Hatcher following her. And lucky for her Cross, following his instinct that it wouldn't be for a friendly chat, immediately took action. By the time they reached her she had fallen unconscious and DiNozzo performed lifesaving CPR, without which she would have died. Detective Cross arrested Hatcher onsite and any question that Steve had been involved in Tommy Jr's death was immediately forgotten.

Just as Colin finished telling her how Pete had been by her side the entire time since she'd been brought into the hospital nearly thirty hours ago. He'd remained there until her other brothers and dad had arrived a few hours ago when he'd been unceremoniously booted out of her room and told in no uncertain terms to stay the hell away from her. The sudden bang of the door against the wall made all three jump slightly.

All three sets of eyes snapped to the entrance and Josie breathed in sharply to see a half-crazed Pete framed in the door. He looked terrible. He was in the same clothes he'd been in when she last saw him but there were now large bags under his eyes and his face was twisted with pain, "Josie," he breathed out. Crossing the room quickly he shoved Colin out of the way and pulled her into his body. "Fuck baby, I am so sorry."

Josie clung to him, feeling instantly at peace in his arms, "Don't be," she mumbled, voice muffled into his chest as she nestled into his body. Neither of them noticed when Emma and Colin silently slipped out of the room, leaving them on their own.

Pete simply held her for a few minutes as she cried into his arms before he pulled away from her, stroking her face softly as he placed a sweet kiss on her forehead before moving to her lips. He took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up carefully so he could examine her neck. He cringed, biting his lip in anger at the ring of bruises around her neck where Hatcher had very nearly succeeded in ending her life. He gently leaned down to kiss her neck softly, "I almost lost you again – I may still." He whispered to her.

"I'm not going anywhere," Josie swore as she took his face in her hands and forced him to meet her gaze, "They'll cool down. Colin's already on my side and they'll drop this shit when they realize they either get me and you together or…" she swallowed hard before continuing, "They don't get me at all."

Pete's eyes were a mirror of mingled surprise and relief, "Joze – you don't mean that. Your family is your life"

"I do." She said, staring intently into his blue eyes, "You once said that me and you together was the only thing in this world you were sure of. And it's true: you're my future. You promised to marry me, remember? No backing out now."

He pressed his lips to hers gently, "I love you." He replied simply before carefully pulling her into his arms again, stroking her hair gently as she continued to sob softly into his chest. He laid back on the bed, dragging her onto his body and hugging her tightly, "I should give you this back then," he said with a slight frown as he held out the diamond he'd first given her less than three weeks ago.

"My ring!" she cried in delight as he slipped it back onto her finger. "Where was it?" she asked curiously.

"Oh," Pete said, tightening his hold on her, "Yer dad kinda threw it at me when he kicked me outta the room…"

Josie's face paled considerably and she had no idea how to respond so in usual Pete and Josie fashion she just pulled his lips down to hers, kissing him deeply before whispering, "I love you – we'll fix this, we have to," she swore.

"I hope so babe," he replied doubtfully. He stared down at her as she tried to suppress a yawn, "You should try and get some rest Josie then I'll take you home."

Josie looked up at him reluctantly from her position in the crook of his shoulder, "Guess you're right. You'll stay?"

Pete gave her a slight smile, running his thumb along her lower lip, "A wild Ronan couldn't drag me away," he quipped.

"Hah. Hah," she responded dryly as she burrowed into his arms. She placed a kiss on his chest and smiled slightly while concentrating on the feel of his arms around her. When she woke up she'd have to deal with the disaster that was their current situation but for now she allowed herself to lie contently in Pete's arms.

* * *

Pete stared down at Josie's sleeping form, cringing every time his eyes landed on the ring of ugly bruises that marred her neck. He brushed her hair out of her face so he could see her clearly. He took in the familiar smattering of freckles and the full lips that were parted slightly open as she breathed slowly and evenly. The only thing running through his head was that he'd almost lost her – again – because of his involvement in the GSE.

He sat staring at her as she slept, unable to think of anything but the fact that her family now disapproved of him and wanted her out of his life while all he wanted was to marry her and not fuck things up anymore. He was so caught up in his thoughts of her he didn't notice Swill, Ike and Dave creep into the room silently.

The three men stood at the end of the bed waiting for Pete to notice them. Finally he glanced up, too tired to be startled he simply nodded his head, "Aye aye boys," he greeted them quietly, not bothering to get up from the bed lest he disturb Josie's nap.

"Ows she doin'?" Swill asked softly.

Pete gave a slight twitch before answering, "Another concussion. Ring of bruises 'round her neck. Doc says she'll be alright though."

All three grinned back at him, clearly relieved that Josie would be ok, "That's great news bruv –why do you look like West Ham just got relegated?" Ike asked jokingly.

Pete swallowed hard and glared slightly at the boys, "Josie's family is here."

"That's great innit?" Dave asked in confusion.

"No bruv. It ain't. They don't want us together…they want to take her back to the States," he said with difficulty and the three men's mouths fell open in shock.

Swill snorted in disbelief, "Nah, yer 'avin a bubble, Pete. Josie's family loves you."

"Not since I landed her in a hospital bed twice in less than three weeks time," he grumbled as he glanced back down at Josie who seemed to squeeze herself tighter into his side.

The bang on the wall of the door smashing into it startled the boys and Josie jumped awake, a fearful expression on her face. Pete glared over at the door, furious at whoever had rushed in like that and woken Josie up but the livid look on Terry's face caused Pete to hold back a biting comment.

"Josie – I love you like a daughter but if yer brother doesn't keep his goddamn mouth shut about you two bein' together I'm gonna kill 'im," Terry stated, addressing the half-awake Josie.

His words caused her to become immediately alert, "Which one? And you just may have my permission depending on what he's been sayin'."

"Ronan," Terry said bluntly, fists clenching at his sides.

Josie managed to roll her eyes and give a slight smile through the pain she was still in, "Figures – he's an ass. Ignore him."

"Joze, you _can't_ leave us," Terry whined, "All he keeps yammerin' about is how much happier you'll be once yer back in the States and not fearin' for your life."

Josie's face had turned ashen at his words and Pete glared fiercely at Terry as he reluctantly stood up and moved away from her, "I know you mean well but will you shut the fuck up Terr?" he asked angrily.

Terry flushed slightly and his eyes flashed towards the bed she was seated in, "Shit – sorry Joze."

She waved her hand casually but Pete could tell by the tense way she was hunched over in the bed that his words had an effect on her. He scrutinized her as she put a false smile on her face and looked around the room at the boys, "So – did anyone bring me a change of clothes or will I be going home in this delightful paper gown?"

"I asked Steve to go home to grab some for you. He should be arriving any second now then we can get outta 'ere," Pete told her and she smiled back at him, thankful he'd thought to do that.

"Thanks baby," she replied tiredly, the effort of the past few hours having drained her of any energy she may have had before. Josie leaned back in the bed, fighting to keep her eyes open as the boys chattered away about ways to convince Josie's family that she was safe with them.

Pete walked back towards the bed, leaning on the edge of it and putting his face close to hers to whisper in her ear, "You can sleep, ya know? No one would blame you for it."

"I can't turn my mind off," Josie said with a sigh, "It's not fair that we can't just be us, can't ever just be normal for a little bit." She felt a fresh round of tears coming up and she bit hard on her lip to stop them, unwilling to cry in front of everyone.

Pete pulled her into his arms, squeezing her tight, "I know gorgeous. I'll make this right, pinky swear," he said quietly so only she could hear as he linked his finger with hers. Josie sniffled slightly, "Now lemme see that beautiful smile of yours."

Josie gave him a soft smile and she pressed her lips to his gently, "That better?"

"Eh," Pete said, making a so-so gesture with his hand, "Better than nothin'."

Josie stuck her tongue out at him and punched his shoulder lightly, "Jerk," she mumbled and before she could continue she was interrupted by Dr. Cole reentering the room.

"Ah and the gangs all here!" he said with delight at the sight of the boys.

"Ello doc," Swill said, offering his hand in greeting giving him a hearty shake.

The rest of the boys hurried forward to shake his hand as well, exchanging pleasantries as though they'd bumped into each other at the market. Pete watched the interaction and as the minutes passed by with Dr. Cole happily chatting about football, Pete's stare became more of a glare. Finally fed up that the good doctor had seemed to forgot the rather grumpy patient he cleared his throat loudly, only to be ignored by all involved.

"Oi Doc! You forgettin' someone?" Pete said with an evil look.

Dr. Cole blushed slightly, "Oops, how are we doin' Josie?"

"Just fine. I can leave now, right?" she asked, pleading slightly and turning her eyes up at him and pouting slightly.

Pete groaned at the familiar puppy dog look knowing there was no way she wasn't getting her way, "Ignore her," he said, snapping Dr. Cole's attention away from Josie, "Is she alright to leave? And don't mind the bratty pout – yer a doctor for Christ's sake."

"All pouting aside: Josie should be alright to head home. Bed rest and nothing strenuous for the next few days, I trust Mr. Dunham will ensure you're pampered to no end," he finished with a smile in Pete's direction.

"We can get bed rest together seein' as that was my prescribed medicine too," Pete said with a smirk that left the room groaning from disgust.

"Always the same with you two," Ike grumbled and the rest of the boys nodded their heads emphatically.

Josie's face was beat red, hands covering her eyes to block the sight of the knowing looks the boys were all wearing. Lucky for her an interruption arrived in the form of Steve delivering her clothes to her, "Oh thank God…no offense Dr. Cole but I'd just as soon be outta here."

"No surprise there," he said with a grin, "I'll get outta yer way but make sure you come back to visit – minus a concussion, yeah?"

Josie nodded her head and gave a wave of goodbye, waiting until everyone but Pete had exited the room before stepping gingerly onto the floor and out of the hospital gown. She quickly pulled on the pair of jeans and t-shirt Steve had brought her and as her head popped out from under the sweatshirt she'd pulled on she caught Pete's gaze. The intense look he gave her caused a shiver to run down her spine.

"What?" she breathed out softly, feeling her throat tighten from his stare that had nothing to do with nearly being strangled to death.

Pete came close, pulling her into his arms, "I just love you is all. Just thinkin' I'm the luckiest bloke in the world that you're dumb enough to still want to hang around me."

His words caused her thoughts to return to how her family had reacted, thoughts she'd somehow managed to ignore for the past couple of hours. Josie wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his face level with hers, "I'll always want you, no matter what," sealing her promise with a hard kiss.

Not even Josie's family, who she adored with all her being, would be able to keep her and Pete apart. Now that they were safe from Tommy Hatcher's brutality all they had to contend with were the consequences of the life of the GSE – a feat that may prove more difficult than anything they'd ever had to deal with.

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**My oh my, I just can't seem to give them a break! Thoughts? Love it, hate it - any & all feedback thrills me.**


	31. Broken, part two

**Sooo, I've been away from this for a long time. I'm not sure how I feel about the direction the story took & have contemplated doing a whole re-write but I'm just not sure if I want to commit to such a project. I do know that I don't want to leave this unfinished so it will get done. **

**Hopefully there are still people out there interested in the story but who knows...enjoy**

* * *

Dah dum. Dah dum. Dah dum.

"Joze – knock it off! You're drivin' me nuts," Emma cried out in frustration. She'd spent twenty minutes sitting with a blank staring Josie who'd alternated between drumming her fingers on the table and sipping coffee that Emma was pretty sure was spiked with Jameson's.

Josie finally looked straight at Emma, heaving a massive sigh and her fingers twitched to the scarf around her neck, "I'm sorry Em, I just can't get my thoughts together – I can't stop freaking out for even a minute."

"I know you can't love, but you called me to talk and we've been sitting in dead silence since I got here," Emma said softly.

"I know and I meant to use this time wisely as Pete's only at rehab for so long," Josie said back, with tears suddenly shining in her eyes. "I just don't know what to do," she whispered softly before dropping her head to the table with a loud thud.

"Just talk it out Josie Jo: act like I'm in your head," Emma suggested while taking her hand and squeezing it comfortingly.

Josie gave a wry smile, "Your funeral Ems but fine: I don't know what to do. My family is my life; they've been everything to me since I was a little girl. They were all I had. They were all I really needed. Then," she said with a sigh and unwillingly giving a soft smile, "I met Pete. And now that stupid boy – GSE and all – is all I need in my life. I can't give up either of them but now it doesn't seem like I'm allowed to have them both. It's like I'm being punished," she whispered.

"Why in all that's holy do you think you're being punished?" Emma asked in shock.

Josie gave an awkward shrug of her shoulders, looking down at the table as she swiveled her cup around, "Cause it was my fault my mum left…I'm the reason that I'm all my family has. Now…well now I'm the one tearing us apart again."

"_Josephine Murphy_," Emma said angrily, gripping her friend's forearm slightly, "You are not to blame for your dumb twat of a mother," Josie's mouth dropped open in shock at Emma's words as she'd never heard her prim and proper friend ever use such dirty language, "Oh don't look at me like that – I've picked up some of your boy's awful language.

"But it's the truth Joze – you are not to blame for that. You are not your dad and brothers' keeper. If you love Pete – and it's more obvious than the fact that the sky is blue that you do – than that's what you deserve. A long. Happy. Life with the man that you're clearly meant to be with. It's not going to be easy, its gonna be really really hard – "

Emma broke off when Josie snorted slightly and a giggle slipped out, "What?" Emma asked, annoyed that Josie was now laughing when she'd looked like she was near tears a minute ago.

"That's from _The Notebook_ you idiot," Josie breathed through her giggles, the stress of the past few days causing her to be a little bit more off than usual.

Emma rolled her eyes but felt a smile pull at her lips nonetheless, "Well I'm glad my little speech broke you out of your catatonic state. And Jesus Joze – it's ten-thirty in the morning, whiskey?" she asked, arching her eyebrow slightly and her suspicion was confirmed when Josie flushed a deep shade of red.

Shoving her drink away she stuck her tongue out playfully, "I've been stressed out," she replied defensively before smiling brightly. "Did I ever tell you that you're the best friend a girl could have?"

Emma grinned back at her, "You have not but thank you love. Now that you have your head on straight, what are you gonna do?"

Josie face fell slightly, "Daddy slightly over-exaggerated when he said we were leaving tomorrow, since that was yesterday and I'm obviously still here. He's bought plane tickets for all of us to leave on Friday," she said, pout firmly in place.

"All of you?" Emma asked in a slightly strangled voice as she realized that Friday was currently just three short days away.

Josie sighed, knowing where she was going with this, "Yes – Colin too…it's like Daddy has gone crazy after – well after my little accident. He's just worried about us and he tends to over-react when he thinks any hurt or pain is gonna come to us. He loves us – I know he does but he just sees as little kids still, kids that have to be protected from the huge, dangerous world that we live in."

Emma sighed, feeling her insides twist at the thought of not only Josie leaving but Colin too, "You didn't answer my question Joze," she said softly.

"I'm staying," she replied simply, "Pete's my home – where he is, is where I'm meant to be. But I can only decide for me," she stated bluntly, taking Emma's hand and staring at her with apology in her eyes.

"I know," Emma whispered, "I just – I've just become abnormally attached to him." She said, wiping a tear that was making its way down her cheek, "You Murphy's are quite intoxicating."

Josie grinned at her, "I know. And he does seem different – I'd say fifty-fifty he stays."

"Oh how reassuring," Emma replied sarcastically.

"I'm sorry Ems – I just don't want to lie in case he does leave. I don't wanna see you hurt," Josie pled with her, squeezing her hand lightly.

Before Emma could respond the door of the small flat flung open and Colin stormed into the room looking like he was about to rip his hair out. His mouth was open in preparation for a rant when he caught sight of Emma seated with his sister. His entire face softened and he visibly relaxed as he approached the two girls.

He leaned down to kiss Emma softly, "Hi you," he breathed out and she smiled up at him before tilting her face up to kiss him again. Josie sat watching the two of them, a small smile on her face to see her brother and best friend looking so _right_ together.

"Well you calmed down in a hurry," Josie joked as Colin took a seat at the small kitchen table, pulling his chair flush with Emma's,

"Oh shut it Josie Jo," he said with a slight smirk before his face turned serious again, "You ready for the family meeting?"

"Family meeting?" Emma questioned, wondering why Josie hadn't mentioned it since she'd arrived about an hour ago.

Colin rolled his eyes, "Yes we're in our twenties and still have family meetings – Joze gets embarrassed by 'em, always has."

Josie nodded her head stiffly, "Well this one isn't exactly about if we should renew our Bruins season tickets, it's a bit more serious than that. I'm slightly worried Daddy is going to try to kidnap me."

"You'll be fine," Colin said, reaching across the table to give her shoulder a reassuring grip, "I'll be there."

"Yeah…and so will Pete," Josie said, dropping her gaze from her now glaring brother.

"No. _No_ he will not," Colin ordered sternly as Emma's eyes darted between the two siblings who both had their jaws stubbornly set and she prepared to witness another Murphy fight.

"Yes. I will," a fourth voice joined them and Josie looked up startled to see Pete smiling at her softly before he leaned down, tilting her face to his and kissing her gently. Josie felt her heart leap to her throat at the feel of his soft lips on hers. He grinned down at her before turning a stern look at Colin as he pulled Josie up from her seat before sitting down and pulling her onto his lap, careful to place her weight on his good leg.

Colin tried to ignore Pete's very presence which was only made more difficult when Josie wrapped an arm around his neck, holding onto him tightly. It's not that he didn't like Pete – on the contrary, he'd liked him the minute he found out he'd offered to pick them up at the airport for their Christmas surprise and that fondness only continued to grow. But family meetings were _family_ meetings: there were no outsiders. Ever.

"Joze, I get you want to present a united front but he ain't family," Colin addressed his sister who only glared back at him while Pete fixed him with a cold stare that he tried his hardest to ignore but even though the man was still badly impaired by injury Pete managed to strike fear into the other.

"He's as good as. And he won't be at the actual table with us; he'll be at the bar. I just need him there," Josie finished in a small voice.

Colin gave her a hard look that she was reluctant to meet but when she finally did and he saw the determination behind her soft brown eyes he dropped his head slightly, sighing in defeat "Whatever…they won't be happy, ya know?"

"No shit," Josie mumbled back, "But I'm not exactly their favorite person right now so I might as well make myself feel a bit better."

"True," Colin said in resignation before glancing over at Emma who looked slightly ill at the conversation going on. Focusing his attention on her, he squeezed her hand gently and softened his voice, "Hey, wanna grab somethin' to eat before Josie Jo and I have to go deal with our wicked overprotective family?"

Emma managed a small smile up at him as she nodded her head in agreement. The two stood to leave and Josie actually pulled off a rather large, genuine smile as her brother carefully placed his hand on the small of her friend's back, "I'll see you there – you know how to get there alright?"

Josie rolled her eyes at her brother, wondering just when he became so comfortable in London to be giving her directions, "Yes Col – I think I can manage."

Colin reached down to ruffle her hair as he walked past, "Just lookin' out for my baby sister," he addressed her before giving a curt nod in Pete's direction then took Emma's hand to lead her out of the small flat.

Once they were alone Pete blew out a puff of frustrated air as he rested his chin on Josie's shoulder who gently ran her fingertips along the back of his knuckles. They sat in silence for a few minutes, happy to just be with each other when Pete finally spoke, "Josie?"

"Yes baby?" she replied, eyes closed in contentment as he ran a soothing hand along her leg.

"What's gonna happen today?" he asked gruffly, voice rough with emotion.

Josie turned in his lap, placing her legs on either side of him and holding his face firmly in her hands, "I'm going to tell them where you are, is where I need to be."

Pete raised a skeptical eyebrow, "And just 'ow will they take that?"

Sighing heavily and resting her forehead against his, she bit her lip before answering nervously, "Erm…I imagine not well. Daddy tends to be quite stubborn."

"A trait that clearly skipped a generation, eh love?" he said, smirking slightly as moved aside her scarf and placed a tender kiss to her still bruised neck. Anger still pulsed through him at the sight of the bruises that were only just beginning to fade and he shut his eyes tightly as he gripped her hips and pulled her closer to him.

"Stop that," Josie whispered into his ear as she kissed him softly at the sensitive area at the base of his neck which caused Pete to glance up at her in confusion. "Stop blaming yourself Pete – _you_ didn't do this to me. Some nut job that destroyed his own life did this, if I don't blame you why the hell do you think its okay to walk around with this pained look on your face like I'm suffering by being with you?"

Pete sighed softly, trying to collect his thoughts while he stared into Josie's soft brown eyes. He reached a hand up to trace down the bridge of her nose before resting his thumb on her full bottom lip, "You deserve better than me Joze. What good have I brought to your life?"

Josie rolled her eyes at him, "Christ, are you that desperate to get rid of me?" Pete opened his mouth to protest but she placed a finger on his lips to quiet him, "Cause that's what it seems like with your stupid questions: what have you brought to my life? You've brought me _you_. You're everything to me, you've no idea how insanely happy you make me and how since the moment we've been together I've known that you're it. So just knock it off, you deserve me – whether you like it or not."

Leaning closer she kissed him hard on the lips and he grinned into it, "Fuck me – I've no idea what I did to trick you into falling in love with me but whoever up there likes me enough to give me you is alright by me."

Josie wrapped her arms around his neck as she buried her face in his neck, "I've tink wef ould og," she said, words coming out muffled and Pete snorted slightly.

"What was that love? Didn't quite 'ear ya," he said with a smile playing on his face.

"I said," Josie answered back softly as her face fell serious, "I think we should go."

"I guess you're right," Pete said, reluctantly allowing her to climb off his lap. She offered him a helping hand up which he grasped lightly as he pulled himself into a standing position. He tested his bad leg, cringing at the slight pain that shot up his leg. It was getting better, slowly but surely with continued physical therapy but it was still a constant ache that he was trying to get used to.

Josie glanced over at Pete as he tried to hide his grimace, deciding not to comment she moved quickly into their bedroom to grab her jacket and bag. Coming out she saw Pete waiting by the door, ready to face their fate together. He smiled at her softly as he held his hand out to take hers. She took it quickly as he linked their fingers together and dragged her out of the comfort of their flat, both of their stomachs fluttering with nerves at what could potentially befall them.

* * *

"Right – so we just don't give her an option," Eamon Sr. stated gruffly as he stared at his two oldest boys.

"Da?" Ronan interrupted, cringing slightly when he earned a stern glare at having interrupted his father.

"What Rone?"

"It's just that…well shouldn't we wait for Joze and Colin to get here before we start the meeting? This isn't how we normally do it…" he said, voice trailing off apprehensively at the look on his father's face.

Eamon Jr. wore a matching glare, "Not a normal situation. You know how blinded Josie can be. She thinks she loves Pete and that he's worth gettin' herself killed for. But he aint and it'll take our combined strength to make her see that."

Ronan bit his lip to stop the flow of words, suddenly very wary of his family's intentions for this meeting. All he wanted was his little sister safe and happy. Unfortunately it seemed like her safety was at risk from the man that made her over the moon, head in the sky happy.

The three men sat in silence, staring at the door anxiously for their remaining two family members to arrive. The door finally swung open to reveal…

Colin. Alone. Ronan tilted his head to the side in confusion, _wonder where Josie Jo is?_ And he heard the others grumble angrily as well.

Colin strode towards the table, plopping down into the seat next to his father and oldest brother, "Boys." He said with a smug nod that they all glared at.

"Don't be an ass Colin. This is all your fault, ya know?"

"Oh for fuckssake Eams, Josie would've never gone with me willingly and you three know it. It was a half-baked plan at best me bein' able to convince her to come home with me and without Pete," Colin grumbled at them.

Eamon Sr. fixed his youngest son with a penetrating stare, "We know she wouldn't have gone willingly but it's not her choice. We know what's best for her, she'll get over him."

Colin opened his mouth to protest but was surprisingly cutoff by Ronan, "Jesus Dad – what're we gonna do? Throw her over our shoulders and drag her – kicking and screaming – to the airport? Then what? Lock her up for the rest of her life? She won't be happy without him."

"Well she won't be safe with him either," Eamon Jr. glared back at Ronan, eyes filled with disbelief at the fact that their historically strong family was weakening and dividing before his very eyes.

As the lines became clearly drawn: the two Eamons on one side with Colin and surprisingly Ronan on the other, the door swung open to reveal the topic the discussion, that had finally arrived. All four men sighed in relief to see her because as mad as they were at her she was still their daughter and sister and she meant the world to them.

They started to smile, until they realized she wasn't alone, only Colin kept the small grin on his face at the sight of the tall blonde. Pete towered over Josie's small frame, large hand resting softly on the small of her back as they walked through the door together.

Josie faltered slightly at the sight of the glares being thrown in her direction. She felt Pete squeeze her hip reassuringly and she glanced up at him, relieved to see the reassurance that met her stare. It was as though he was shouting loudly to her that he was right here and wouldn't be going anywhere.

When they were a few feet from the table her family sat at Pete squeezed her hip once more before moving towards the bar but was stopped when Josie pulled on his hand. She pulled him down to kiss him gently, "Thank you." She whispered before turning to face her family.

Pete reluctantly left her side to go sit at the bar, settling in to keep a close eye on Josie. He hated having to let her face this alone but knew better than to argue with her.

Josie nodded slightly at her family as she took the final empty seat between Colin and Ronan. To her overwhelming shock Ronan took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze as he leaned over to kiss her cheek gently. She turned in shock before smiling softly and returning the squeeze.

Her father cleared his throat roughly and she looked up at him startled, "Daddy…" she started to say before he held a hand up at her to stop.

"No Josephine – it's our turn to talk," he said firmly and Josie felt her stomach tighten in knots. She felt like she was in grade school again and had just brought home a D in math. Both her father and eldest brother fixed a glare at her and she cringed back at the sight.

"We understand that you think you love that boy but it's not safe – _he's_ not safe to be with," Eamon Jr. replied back with a bitter bite to his words.

Josie felt her face heat with anger and as she opened her mouth to talk back her father continued in an angry stream, "Do not even try to argue that Josephine Bailey. Since you've been with that boy you've ended up in the hospital twice in varying degrees of injury and you've nearly died both times. On top of that he landed himself in a coma because of a stupid sport yet you still insist on remaining with an immature boy who has no idea how to protect the girl he's supposedly in love with? Why can't you see this?" he finished with a plea.

Pete bit down on his lip hard, trying to restrain himself from storming over to give Josie's father a piece of his mind knowing it would only serve to cause more tension than there already was. His fists were clenched at his side and he knew Josie's temper must be hanging on by a thread. Again, he saw her open her mouth to answer but she was once again silenced by her oldest brother.

"Josie Jo _please_," he begged in an uncharacteristic soft tone, "We can't lose you."

Blinking back tears, Josie sat in silence as she stared at the faces of her family. The faces of the men that had always been there and always loved her. As the minutes ticked by she glanced at the bar to see Pete eyeing her carefully. Feeling her chest burn at the sight of him she knew she had no choice that would benefit everyone.

Choking back tears, she swallowed hard before speaking, "You're not going to lose me…" she said taking another deep gulp of air, "But I can't leave Pete. I just…can't."

Colin took her hand in his and squeezed it gently but her eyes remained on her father and Eamon. Her father's eyes were shut tight and he was rubbing his temples in frustration while Eamon looked fit to kill, "Daddy please understan – "

"No," her father said, forcefully cutting her off. "If this is your choice, if _he_ is your choice," he spat while giving a nod in the direction of the bar, "Then I won't stand by and watch you destroy yourself. I don't have the strength to attend your funeral so consider this my final goodbye. At least I'll get to remember you alive and somewhat healthy."

Disbelief painted her face as Josie watched her father stand up on unsteady feet, the look on his face a mixture of anger and love before he turned and stormed from the pub. Eamon sat shell shocked for a moment before he leaned over to kiss Josie on the cheek softly, "Bye bye Josie Jo."

Then he was out the door following her father while all Josie could think about was did they really just say their final words to her. Ronan and Colin sat with her, both unsure as to what had just occurred. As the tears began to pour down her face Pete was at her side in an instant, large hand resting on the back of her neck rubbing soothing circles that did nothing to calm her. She dropped her head to the table, sobs racking her body as she realized she'd certainly made her decision but she wasn't quite sure if it was the right one.


	32. Anything But Mine

**Gosh its just been forever! Sorry to have kept you waiting - & I do wish I could say this would totally make up for it but its shorter than usual & could really only be defined as a 'filler.' Anyways, I am trying to get back into writing more on this but when I say this chapter was a struggle I mean it - I had, no lie, 5 different versions started on this one and it still doesn't feel quite right. **

**Anyways, I'll shut up now with just one final thank you for still reading this shit!**

* * *

"So Colin's got her by one ankle, I've got 'er by the other and the next thing we know she's screamin' bloody murder while she's hanging three stories above the ground."

"Then we feel a pull from the other end and it's a legit tug of war while Josie Jo is just screaming nonstop."

"Then all three idiots relinquished their hold and down I went – three story fall into the filthy bar dumpster that saved my life," Josie finished while both Colin and Ronan sat, clutching their sides in laughter.

Pete stared at the three siblings as they happily (and drunkenly) laughed through the memory. Ronan was gasping for breath as he took a long gulp of beer before continuing, "Poor Joze, dangling above the ground at seven years old while she caught an unfortunate eyeful of Eamon."

Josie stared at her two remaining brothers, "Not like you fools felt bad at all – you two just laughed your asses off, unable to even hold on tight to me while I landed in a pile of trash."

"God we wanted to know what teenage guys do during 'tutoring' when they get older, little did we know that sending a girl to do the dirty work wasn't the smartest idea. Joze couldn't explain what she'd seen – she just sat with a traumatized look, lying in a pile of trash while the two of us bombarded her with questions," Colin said with a laugh.

"The three of us weren't the brightest kids as you can tell," Josie said with a short laugh and a distant look on her face, "But fuck that was just the funniest time…"

Voice trailing off Josie quietly stared into the faces of her brothers as they fell quiet at the same time, "Christ," Ronan muttered, "Feels like that scene in Saving Private Ryan where he's talkin' about the last time all his brothers were together before three of 'em bit it."

Josie felt her eyes start to well with tears and she squeezed her eyes shut tight before exhaling slowly, "I was just thinking that…this is a nightmare." Eyes still closed she reached for Pete's hand and he squeezed it reassuringly before pulling it up and placing a soft kiss to her palm.

The table fell quiet, littered with empty pint glasses and filled ash trays as the three Murphys that had remained in the pub after their brother and father walked out sat lost in thought. Pete felt like an intruder on what felt like a funeral but when he'd tried to leave earlier Josie had nearly lost it.

Draining the rest of her pint, Josie bit her lip in thought that also seemed to help stem the near constant stream of tears, "They still love you Joze, you know that right?" Colin asked softly.

Trying her best to believe him, she nodded her head wordlessly, "I think I need to go home," she managed to choke out.

Josie stood up carefully, swaying slightly on unsteady feet. She'd been throwing back pints in the hope that it would numb the pain that was ripping through her body. It had been unimaginable that her family would ever fall apart like this and the hurt it came with seemed to emanate from her toes to the very top of her head.

Ronan stood up on equally unsteady feet and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug, "I love you Josie Jo," he murmured into her hair before placing a soft kiss to the crown of her head, "They'll come around. I'm heading home soon and I'll talk to them after they've had a chance to cool down."

Staring up at her brother through tear-filled eyes as she tried to believe his words but they seemed so empty despite the fierce tone lacing his promise, "Just take care of yourself, Rone." While she stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek softly and gave his hand one last squeeze.

Colin stood as well and as he pulled Josie into another tight hug Ronan brought his hand up to squeeze his youngest brother's shoulder while his other rested on his sister's back as Pete just stared at the three siblings locked in their own private hell of his making. He felt his stomach bubble with guilt at the sight, feeling a tornado of emotions.

No matter what Josie said all Pete could think about was how much he'd fucked up her life. But he'd be damned if he was going to tell Josie that again. She seemed hell bent on being with him and he was willing to take that gift.

The minutes passed in silence, broken only by the subdued pub noises around them until Josie finally pulled away from her brothers and locked her arm around Pete's waist, "Well boys – I'll be seeing you." She said with the strongest voice she could manage before holding her head high and dragging Pete out of the pub.

The couple walked silently down the darkened street, a light rain falling upon them as they went towards the nearest tube stop. After a few steps Josie pulled her hand out of Pete's and before he had a chance to protest she'd wrapped her arm around his waist and nestled into his side. Pete dropped a kiss on top her head but remained silent, just taking comfort in the fact she was still his.

As they shoved their way through the crowds of tourists and pub goers to reach the platform Josie kept a death grip on Pete's hand but had still yet to say a word. It was disarming as she was rarely silent, especially when she was with him.

Josie turned towards Pete and wrapped herself around him, hugging him tight. Pete tucked her head under his chin as he gently squeezed her, "We should get married," Josie mumbled into his chest.

Pete felt the familiar butterflies at the thought of marrying her but was slightly confused as he thought they'd covered that when he'd proposed, "Ok Joze, sure…but thought we'd established that with that pretty little ring on your finger and me being down on one knee & shit."

Josie rolled her eyes and the expression was so familiar Pete felt some of the tension ebb away. They were going to be okay – whether it killed him, he'd spend the rest of his life making sure she was happy.

"I meant why wait? There's no point in having some big fancy wedding, we can just go to a justice of the peace or whatever the British equivalent is," she said in earnest as she stared up at him, her eyes pleading softly with him.

Pete took a slight step back from her but kept his arms around her, "Joze…I thought you wanted a wedding – the white dress, the party, our friends and family surrounding us?" They hadn't had much opportunity to talk about it but he knew her well enough to know that she would want at least some type of ceremony and to have all of their loved ones included, "I think Emma'd have my balls if I stole you away and eloped, thereby negating all need for a maid of honor."

"Well I did…but now…" her voice faltered as she tried to bite back more tears, "There just doesn't seem a point to a big party if half my family won't be showing up."

"Josie, baby, we don't have to rush it," he replied as he pulled her into his chest, rubbing her back softly, "I'm not going anywhere. We'll sort this shit out with your dad and brother then we'll get married. It won't feel right without their blessing."

Her brown eyes glistened with tears as she gave him a watery smile, "God I wish I had your confidence," she mumbled but leaned up to kiss him softly. "What'd I do to deserve such a great bloke?"

Pete snorted in response as he reluctantly relinquished his tight hold on her so they could get on the train, "More like who'd you piss off to be stuck with me," he said with a slight grin as he gently maneuvered her onto the train and into a vacant corner on the packed train.

They spent the ride in silence as Josie chose to just take comfort in being locked in Pete's arms. Her life had been completely flipped about and occasionally she felt a wave of panic rise up within her that she desperately tried to squash down by thinking about her future with Pete.

They had to be ok. Her family would be whole one day and Pete would be a member of it and they'd all live happily ever after. _Hah, yeah right – but one could dream_.

* * *

Pete hurried out of the bedroom to answer the banging on the door before it had the opportunity to wake Josie up. Reaching the door he flung it open, fully prepared to lay into whoever was behind it for potentially disturbing the girl that recently began to suffer from insomnia after she'd finally fallen asleep.

Until the face behind the door was that of Matt Buckner.

His anger momentarily forgotten he stood so shocked to the core that he was speechless as he stared at his brother-in-law that had been missing for nearly two months. Matt stood with a duffle bag at his feet and a look on his face that was a mixture of shame and pity as his eyes took in Pete's still clearly damaged right leg which was the only remaining evidence of his brush with death.

The two stood locked in silence, neither one sure what to say for a few long minutes as they stared each other down. The tension lurked in the air heavily until a third voice joined them, "Baby? Who's here this early?"

Broken from the spell Pete's head whipped around to see Josie leaning against the door in a pair of his old boxers and baggy t-shirt trying to wipe the sleep from her eyes. It was just past 5 AM and she'd only just fallen asleep two hours ago. Pete had taken to trying to stay up with her while she fought for rest and it was wearing both of them out. Needless to say, the loss of her father and oldest brother from her life was taking a major toll on her.

Anger came flooding into his veins when he saw that Josie's precious amount of sleep had been disturbed, "Nobody that should be," Pete said as he fixed Matt with a hard stare. It wasn't just his life that had fallen apart after that final fight with Hatcher's boys but his brother wasn't faring any better and this man's family was the reason for that.

Pete at least still had Josie, his mates as well as his job, Steve hadn't been so lucky. Shannon had fled back to the States with Ben in tow and not spoken one word to her husband. Two months of silence from the woman he loved and his only child. On top of that Steve was facing an inquiry at work after the police investigation over Hatcher's allegations, even though no formal charges had been filed. Overall things didn't look too good for his older brother.

"Pete – look – " Matt started to say but was cut off when the door slammed abruptly in his face. Pete felt his unbridled rage shaking from within as he stalked away from the door towards Josie, pulling her arm to lead her back to bed. He stopped when he felt her resist his pull and as he locked eyes with her he cringed at the fire in the brown orbs.

"Tell me you did not just do what I think you did to a member of your family?" she questioned bitterly while wrenching her arm from his grip.

Pete blew a puff of frustrated air out as he stared down at her. He should have known that Josie would react this way. He took her face in his hands, meeting her glare head on, "Joze – it's not the same thing. He walked out on us, ran from what he'd fought to come back to the second it got ugly."

Josie batted his hands away from her, "I don't give a shit Dunham, he is _family_," she stressed the word as she stormed towards the door before Matt had a chance to leave. Flinging it open she saw Matt was still standing there unsurely and Josie pulled him quickly into a tight hug.

Hearing Pete make a grunt of anger behind her she wheeled around to shoot him a glare as she pulled Matt into the room, "I'll make some tea while you two boys chat."

Matt remained hesitant, rocking back and forth on his feet near the door as though he was contemplating fleeing. Although Josie had pulled him in and seemingly accepted his return he knew that Pete would be a different story, "Whatever Yank – take a seat," Pete finally grumbled out. Sighing in slight relief Matt moved towards the familiar, small kitchen table to take a seat for one of the hardest conversations he'd ever set out to have.

Pete dropped into the seat across from him, fixing his hard stare on him while Josie moved around the two of them quickly making tea for them both. The suffocating silence surrounding them was finally broken by the whistle from the teapot signaling it was time to talk.

"Pete - " Matt started hesitantly, glancing down at his mug of tea while trying to formulate a thought that would make what he'd done alright. Weighing his words carefully he stared across at the unforgiving eyes of the man he thought of as a brother. "I'm not sure where to begin…" he trailed off pathetically.

"How bout you start with why it is you decided to just fuck off back to the States without a word to the lot of us?" Pete offered bitterly, shrugging off Josie's hand that she'd just placed soothingly on his shoulder.

Matt had the good sense to look embarrassed as well as ashamed but still managed to meet Pete's stare head on, "I had to take care of my sister," was the simple response he finally managed to spit out.

Pete softened slightly. He could hardly begrudge Matt wanting to look out for his sibling with Colin had been doing the same thing for Josie ever since he'd been a coma.

"I straightened my life out too – managed to get my degree from Harvard and figured now that's done and Shannon is doing a little better that I'd try to make things right with you," Matt said softly, staring into the murky tea water while feeling like he was being interrogated.

Pete sighed heavily, dropping his head to his hands while running them through his hair. Josie sat quietly beside him and he felt her soft touch on his knee, "Yeah alright," he said and he could practically feel Josie's glee emanating off of her. He wasn't particularly thrilled with Matt but he knew that he couldn't hold a grudge for long – they'd all lost too much.

Josie squealed in delight as she leapt up, pulling Pete up and motioning for Matt to do the same as she shoved them together in an awkward man-hug, "Now, Pete you make up the sofa for Matt and I'm going to go try to fall back asleep."

She squeezed Matt's shoulder before turning to hug Pete, "I love you," she whispered in his ear and kissed his neck softly then pulled away to crawl back into bed.

Pete set up a bed for Matt in silence, still trying to wrap his head around the fact that he was back, "How is she?"

Startled, Pete glanced up to see Matt with a look of concern on his face, "Well between her nearly dying, me nearly dying then half her family disowning her I'd say she's had a rough fuckin' go of it," he spat out, the words coming out in a bitter stream.

Matt winced as he took that in, "Her family disowned her?" he questioned in disbelief, remembering how close she'd been to them.

"Yeah, her oldest brother and father," Pete said shortly, not going any further into the train wreck that had been their lives over the past two months. Things had more or less returned to normal except that the wedding plans were at a standstill, Josie slept a total of three hours a night and Pete was about to fly to the States and beat the shit out of her family until they agreed to make amends. So in general, it was about as normal as he'd come to expect with their relationship. He was convinced that girl would be the death of him but he found he didn't quite care about his own sanity as long as he was making her happy.

"I am sorry, Pete. For everything. I've been talking to Shannon, trying to convince her to do the right thing and talk to Steve…I think I've been wearing her down but it hasn't been easy," Matt said pathetically while Pete fought to control his anger.

"Yeah well – get to sleep. We'll sort through more of this mess in a few hours." Tossing a pillow onto the couch he brushed by Matt, anxious to get away from this confrontation and to be back cocooned in bed with Josie.

He walked quietly back into their bedroom, smiling slightly as he saw her curled up in bed, brown hair thrown about like a halo around her head, his old t-shirt riding up a bit so he had a slight view of her slim waist. Hearing him enter her eyes snapped back open and she gave him a soft smile, "You tuck him in and kiss his forehead nuh-night?"

"Oi, don't be a tart," he said with a smirk as he did a little skip and leap move back into the bed, nearly crushing Josie on the landing.

"Christ that was graceful, you ever thing about taking up ballet?" she joked softly as he moved to lay over her small body, holding his arms up so he didn't crush her and sighing as she rubbed her hands up and down his arms, her touch causing goosebumps to appear on his skin.

"You'd like that wouldn't you? Seeing me run around in tights and shit?"

"Oh yes," she sighed dramatically, "It's always been my dream to date a ballerino."

Pete grinned down at her, "Is that what male ballerinas are called?"

"Fuck if I know but it sounds like it could be," she said with a smile. He leaned down to kiss her gently before rolling them over so she was straddling him, "I'm proud of you, ya know."

Tucking a stray hair behind her ear as her face fell serious he smiled slightly, "Only you'd be proud of such a simple encounter. It still ain't all cozy, warm and cuddly but I don't think I can do to him what's been done to you."

Josie leaned down to kiss him softly, moving her lips along his jaw line to nibble softly on his ear, "You, Mr. Dunham, are possibly my very favorite person in the world."

"That right, love?" Pete said with a smirk as he ran his hands along her bare thighs, feeling the heat from her kisses trail ignite his nerves down to his toes, "Because just last week – and I quote – you said you'd shove me down a flight of stairs if it meant you had half a shot with that nancy fake football bloke Tom Brady."

Josie snorted and rolled her eyes as she smirked lightly, "Well I did say '_possibly'_ didn't I?"

"Oh I am so lucky that he's across the pond or else I'd have to consider locking you in the basement to avoid you trying to leave me," Pete answered back as he linked his fingers with hers.

"Never," she replied back, turning more serious as she pulled back to stare into his eyes, "I joke but you're it. You're stuck with me for life so you'd better get used to it.

"Now I certainly like the sound of that. Besides – why on earth would you ever leave a poor teacher to be with a world famous athlete? I mean, the choice is obvious," he grinned back at her as she leaned in to continue her line of kisses down his body.

"Since I know you aren't quite happy about the whole having to forgive Matt thing how about I let you take advantage of me – loudly – so that he has a super awkward first night back?" Josie asked with a devilish grin.

Pete gripped her hips and flipped them over, causing Josie to squeal, "Thank fuck you've got such a dirty mind Joze, because I was already planning on it."

* * *

**So, that's the latest installment - thoughts? Is there anyone out there? Helloooo? **

**Any ways, Matts back, Josie & Pete love each other (obvi) and we'll see where things will go. I'd like to get past this murky part & get to a wedding soonish soo stay tuned :)**


	33. Brotherly Love

**Nooo you're not seeing things - it really is another update & it hasn't even been two weeks!**

**On that note: should I continue? I don't know if people are liking where its going, if you just feel obligated because you've come this far. Anything? **

**Anyways thanksss to the two (I believe it was two, maybe three) reviews: I still absolutely adore you. **

**But the rest of you: continue? don't? Shut up & let you get to the story?**

* * *

"Phew, ok Pete – you're done for today," Lucy, his physical therapist, finally spoke the four little words he'd been dying to hear ever since he'd heard the words 'leg lifts' an hour and a half ago when he had arrived to the gym. There was no doubt his leg was becoming stronger but the effort was nearly killing him with pain.

"You sure PT doesn't stand for 'pure torture' miss?" Pete asked with a grimace as he took the towel the young girl had offered him and wiped the sweat from the back of his neck. It had been nearly three months since he'd come out of a coma and although they were making progress on his leg this was still a ways to go and the thrice weekly PT appointments still caused massive pain to shoot up his leg.

Lucy threw her head back with a laugh, shaking out her long auburn hair, "Sorry pet, I'm pretty sure it doesn't."

"Coulda fooled me," he mumbled under his breath. Taking a long drink of water he rifled in his gym bag for his cell phone. Flipping it open he sighed when he saw there were no new texts or calls.

"Expecting someone?" Lucy interrupted and Pete looked up startled to meet a pair of blue eyes staring down at him keenly. He stared up at her warily. She was a good-looking girl but unlike Josie, she knew how attractive she was and shoved it squarely in your face.

"Yeah," he said shortly before continuing, "My fiancé. She's finishin' up her Master's dissertation and has been holed up in the bloody library for the past two weeks."

"Fiancé?" she asked with a confused head tilt, "You look a bit young to be gettin' married." She finished, eyeing him appreciatively.

"Erm, not really..." Pete replied shortly, not understanding why it was any concern to her.

Before he had a chance to continue the door of the small gym swung open and Pete felt his face light up at the sight of said fiancé beaming at him. She was dressed simply in a pair of old, faded blue jeans and a soft, yellow tee that hugged her slight figure appealingly with her brown hair flowing down her bag and eyes shining brightly. He sighed in relief to see the familiar smile gracing her face. There hadn't been many of those face-splitting grins in the past few months but they were getting more and more frequent.

"Joze!" he shouted to her as he strode as quickly across the room as he could before pulling her into his arms, "What'ere you doin' here?"

Josie smiled up at him, "Welllll…I've been a shit future wife to you lately so I thought I'd come take my best guy out for lunch after his torture session."

Pete snorted slightly as he leaned down to kiss her gently. Taking her hand he turned to lead her back towards where Lucy stood watching the couple with interest, "Josie – this is my therapist Lucy. Luce – this is my fiancé."

Locked in Pete's arms Josie extracted her hand to offer to the other girl who grasped it lightly, "Pleasure to meet you, miss."

"Nice to meet you too. Pete was just starting to tell me about you. Never got around to just how adorable you are," Lucy cooed, making Josie feel like she was an adolescent who needed her self-esteem built up with empty compliments.

Fighting the urge to roll her eyes Josie bit back a snort as the other girl was clearly trying to size her up and not quite so discreetly, "Mm hmm, well he normally reserves singing my praises unless he knows I can hear him and reward him…if you get my drift." Josie said with a slightly smug smile and a wink as she sensed that Lucy knew _exactly_ what kind of rewards she was talking about.

Meanwhile, Pete stared between the two girls feeling a slight swell of pride at how blatantly Josie was marking her territory. It was a rare occasion that she was on the jealous side and Pete took a perverse pleasure knowing that he affected her just as deeply as she did him.

He pulled her into his side tighter and placed a gentle kiss on her temple before turning back to Lucy, "I am a lucky bloke so I try not to brag too much," he said with a smirk before leaning down to grab his gym bag, "Well Luce – until next torture…I mean therapy session, I'll see ya."

Lucy gave a tinkling laugh as she reached up to kiss Pete on the cheek and he felt Josie tense slightly in his arms while he tried not to shove the other girl away, "Ok Pete, I'll see you in a few days. And it was such a _delight_ to meet you, Jessie."

"It's Josie," Pete bit out through gritted teeth as he saw Josie's face flush in anger as he attempted to shove her out the door.

"Bye bye Lucy!" Josie squealed in a high pitched voice and a huge smile on her face, determined to avoid smacking the girl.

Pete finally managed to maneuver the two of them out the door and into the waning heat of the August day. They made it a few feet down the road before Josie slyly gazed up at him, "So _that's_ Lucy eh?"

He snorted down at her and grinned as he dropped his bag and lifted her into his arms, "Yes – bloody slag, huh?"

"She makes the local girls in the pub look like dignified ladies. It's the sneaky, pretty ones you have to watch out for," Josie said with a hint of bite to her words no matter how much she tried to act as though the encounter hadn't bothered her.

"Somebody's jealous!" Pete sang out as he watched her pout up at him.

"Well had I known that was your therapist I'd have taken a more active role in your rehab besides just at home," Josie said with an eye roll and her stomach clenched at the thought of Pete with that girl spending hours alone each week.

"Well baby, you should know by now that you can't get rid of me so believe me when I say I just noticed today she was actually a girl," he said reassuringly as they linked hands and strolled down the street.

"Oh yeah, I'm sure today was the first day you noticed she was an attractive bird, jerk…" she mumbled under her breath but still managed to smile up at him. She'd come to meet him with the happiest of news and no encounter with a girl who had her eye on Pete was going to ruin what she had to tell him.

Pete stared down at her happily noticing the smile still painting her features and he squeezed her hand softly, "What's making you smile like this, gorgeous? Not that I'm complaining but…"

"I've been pouting more than usual lately," she finished for him.

"With good reason but I'm liking this change," he said as he ran his eyes up her slight frame. Over the past month there'd been no change with her family life but strangely enough with the return of Matt she'd started to sleep a little better, eat a little more and gradually seemed to just be moving forward. Pete had been hesitant to mention it as he didn't want to jinx them but there was no mistaking the happy glint in her brown eyes.

"Well –" she started, "I've got news."

Warily glancing down at her as he narrowly avoided a teenager shoving past on his other side he raised his eyebrows questioningly, "And what's that?"

"My dissertation is done! Finished, over, complete – handed in as of 10 AM today!" Josie practically squealed the news out as Pete pulled them to a stop in the middle of the busy street and lifted her up into a tight hug while kissing her deeply.

"Fuckin' hell Joze that's the best news I've heard in awhile," he said with a soft smile. She'd been panicking at getting it done and he'd barely seen her as she was spending nearly 10 hours a day in the library, "I think that means we've got some celebrating to do."

Josie smiled up at him happily as she hugged him tightly. Although it wasn't some amazing feat to have accomplished it seemed like it was the first good omen they'd had in months. In a month's time Pete would be back teaching, she'd be starting her PhD and it seemed like their life as one would officially be starting.

"There's something else," she mumbled into his chest, though not quite as sure as she'd been before.

"What's that love?" Pete asked as he ran his hands through her hair and leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"I want to get married this spring," Josie said in a rush of words.

Pete groaned slightly, "Josie, we talked about this…I want a _wedding_. Not some civil ceremony with just the two of us. And I _know_ you want that too." He didn't want to admit quite how badly he wanted that normal celebration with him in a tux and her in a gown but it was the truth.

"I do want it, that's what I'm saying," she replied in earnest while biting nervously on her lip, "I know you said you'd wait for my family to sort themselves out but with the way things are going…I just don't know how long that will be. And I want to start our life together. I don't want to wait any longer."

"Spring, eh? I haven't knocked you up have I?" Pete asked as he pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her neck.

"Well I've been meaning to tell you…" Josie trailed off causing Pete to inhale sharply and pull back from her until she broke down in laughter, "The look on your face. No I'm not 'knocked up' as you so charmingly put it. But I'd like to be eventually and I'd prefer the more traditional route of marriage then baby."

"Whatever baby wants, baby gets – we'll get married in the spring," Pete said as kissed her soundly on the mouth while he tried to play it off like he was giving in when really his heart was pounding and he could feel every nerve on fire at the fact that she'd one day – soon – be a Dunham.

* * *

"Well?" Josie stood in front of the collected group, smoothing the skirt of what felt like the fiftieth dress she'd tried on over the past three hours. She stared expectantly at the faces who all wore the same look: sheer wonder. No one spoke.

Finally, Emma squealed in delight, "This is it Joze! _This_ is the dress!" She leapt from her seat and rushed towards Josie who was standing slightly elevated in front of not only Emma but also Colin, Terry, Swill, Ike, Dave, Steve and Matt.

Josie had originally resigned herself to shopping alone with Emma as she was pretty much her only girl friend but to her pleasant surprise the rest of the boys had taken it upon themselves to assist in the planning of her and Pete's wedding. And so they'd spent the better part of a rainy late October Sunday trapped in a bridal shop as she was shoved into about a million dresses.

But now, based on the looks on everyone's faces, this was the dress. It had been Emma (of course) who had picked this dress: an a-line silhouette with a sweetheart neckline. The dress gathered softly at one side of her waist before falling gently down the front and (Josie's favorite part) a row of tiny, detailed buttons that ran up the length of the back.

Emma linked arms with her as she edged onto the platform with her, "Well boys? Doncha think this is it?"

Swill gave a low whistle while the rest of the boys nodded their heads in agreement, "You look gorgeous Josie Jo," Colin commented in approval.

"That Dunham bastard, how he managed to get you I'll never know," Terry said and no one seemed to disagree with him as all the boys seemed to stop and ponder just how Pete had pulled off landing Josie while she just rolled her eyes at the collected group.

"Oh thank fuck, I've felt like Emma's own personal Barbie doll today," Josie said with a sigh of relief as she tried to maneuver off of the pedestal and the boys all stood up as well, a few slinking out to grab a smoke as it seemed the rain had finally stopped.

A few minutes later, Josie emerged dressed and ready to get out of the stifling bridal shop. She'd never been a fan of anything super girly and it didn't seem like she'd caught bridal fever. As she quickly discussed a fitting schedule with one of the sales people she discreetly tried to check her phone to see if Pete had called while they'd been inside.

Instead, to her shock, she noticed a missed call from Eamon. Her heart stuttered to a stop and she felt her blood thundering through her ears.

"Miss? Miss Murphy?" the salesperson's shrill voice cut through her shock and brought her back to her surroundings as her head snapped up.

"Huh?" she replied stupidly, "Oh yeah, sorry. This is perfect. I'll be back in December." She hurriedly signed the agreement before whirling around and rushing out of the shop.

"Joze, love? Where's the fire? You change your mind already?" Dave joked as she shoved passed the group of boys who were crowding the shop front. Ignoring him she made a beeline for Colin who had his arm wrapped around Emma, whispering God knew what in her ear as she was turning a vibrant shade of red at his words.

"Oi! Lover boy!" she shouted as she grabbed her brother's ear and dragged him off of her friend.

"Jesus Christ Josie Jo, what the fuck?" he snapped angrily as he tried to extract himself from her grip but stopped short when she shoved her mobile phone in his face. His eyes widened in surprise at the highlighted missed call and he immediately pulled his own phone out to check but there was nothing.

"Did he call you too?" she practically screamed at him. Josie had called both her father and brother every single day since they'd walked out of her life in an attempt to get them to talk to her. They never answered. She'd kept up a running, one-sided dialogue of her life via voicemail and got bits of news about them from Ronan to satisfy her.

"Nope, nothing," Colin mumbled, wondering what it could mean, "He leave a message?"

"Shit," Josie said softly. In the shock of seeing he'd called she hadn't even thought to check her voicemail. She noticed the flashing indicator and she called her voicemail quickly, tapping her foot impatiently as she entered her password, barely aware of the looks the boys and Emma were exchanging around her.

"_Joze, ahem, Josie – Its uh, Eamon…you're older, stupider brother. Listen: I just…this has been…fuck I suck at this shit. Listen Josie Jo, I know no words can make up for the past few months but…fuck. We just got your wedding invitation…So, just call me back, ok? I…I love you Josephine_," the sound of her brother's voice stopped her heart before it restarted at a frantic pace. He'd sounded so unsure and so alone it nearly broke her heart.

Wordlessly she handed Colin the phone so he could listen as well. His face flashed from confusion to shock to bitterness and finally into a twisted mask of anger, "Well that's fuckin' fantastic – he thinks he can just call after MONTHS of no word and everything will be fine and dandy?"

Angrily chucking her phone at the brick wall they were next to Josie stood shell shocked as it shattered to the ground. She shoved her hands into her brothers chest, "So what? It's _something_," she shouted back at him.

Colin's eyes flashed dangerously and Josie noticed the looks of horror Emma and the boys were all wearing as he towered over her, fists clenched at his side, "For fuckssake Joze – you're just going to accept that shit excuse for an apology? Call him back and cry and say it's okay? That you understand? That oh 'no big deal _Eams_, no big deal _daddy_, I didn't really mind being disowned, in fact, I love being fucked over and treated like shit,'" he imitated her voice cruelly.

Josie turned beet red at his words and lifted her head high, setting her jaw stubbornly, "So what if I do forgive them that easily – they're our _family_."

Colin gave a derisive snort as he glared down at his sister clenching and unclenching his fists so menacingly that Swill stepped in to intervene, shoving the pair apart from each other until both Murphys turned to snap, "Stay out of it!" causing him to step back warily but close enough that he'd take the hit if Colin snapped.

"Don't you remember what they've done to you? What they've done to this family," Colin yelled angrily, a hint of pleading in his voice, "They crushed you. Rejected you because of who you love and then walked out, leaving me to pick up the pieces."

"Oh that's rich – _you_ pick up the pieces? Try _Pete_ picked up the pieces; Dave, Terry, Swill, Ike picked up the pieces – all you did was fuck my best friend and act like you were here for me," Josie shouted back, the words tumbling from her mouth without thought.

Colin turned an impressive shade of red at her final words as he leaned down, face inches from hers, "Fuck. You. Go back to them – _go_. When they quit on you again see if I'll be here. Just see if I'll be around to watch you become a shell of a person again. I'm not doing it again Joze – I'm not going to watch you become a pathetic excuse for a human being again."

With that he turned on his heel and stormed down the street, but not before deliberately stomping angrily on her now destroyed mobile phone. Josie felt bitter tears stinging her eyes and she sucked in deep breaths as she tried to calm herself done, closing her eyes tightly to prevent them from falling.

"Holy shit, that was terrifying," Swill managed to mumble out to Dave with a slight grin at the spectacle they'd just witnessed. At his words, Josie snapped her head around as though just remembering everyone was standing there, all with mixed looks of horror, fascination and humor on their faces.

"I am sorry you guys had to see that," Josie managed to grit out stiffly, "Now – may I borrow someone's phone?" she more demanded rather than asked.

Emma looked horrified at the sight of her best friend and boyfriend's blow out and wordlessly nodded her head as she handed her phone to Josie's waiting hand, "Thank you," she managed to get out before stepping away from the group to call Pete.

"No wonder Dunham does whatever she wants, she is petrifying to fight with," Ike quipped out, a little too loudly as he cringed slightly at the glare Josie shot at him.

Terry snorted a bit, "Guess we all just got to witness the famous Murphy temper we'd heard about."

The rest of the boys shifted about slightly uncomfortable but more amused than anything at the display of sibling aggression as they all highly doubted Colin would ever turn his back on Josie and knew it was more of a gut reaction than anything else.

Josie rejoined the group minutes later, handing Emma her phone back as she rubbed her temples in frustration, "Well boys – who ever said wedding dress shopping would be boring?" she managed to joke slightly having calmed down marginally after talking to Pete for a minute.

"Joze, you alright?" Emma asked her hesitantly, stepping towards her friend and hugging her gently.

She sniffled ever so slightly but returned the hug, "I'm fine Ems, you should probably let him cool down before finding him, yeah?"

Emma nodded her head and gave her a weak smile, "Whatever you say Joze."

"Riiiiight," Steve broke the awkward silence after a minute, "So...beers?"

* * *

**Hah, so that's it! I have to say I throughly enjoyed writing the sibling fight scene so I hope you were slightly amused/entertained. **

**Reviews are always kindly kindly appreciated! :)**


	34. Brotherly Love, part two

**I think we're approaching the end *tear*...I am just so very unsure & it all seems to be going in circles but I will get it finished no matter how long it takes :)**

* * *

"Shit Pete, no wonder you always let her get away with murder – she's fuckin' terrifying to be in a fight with," Swill slurred out as he wiped a dribble of beer from his chin while Pete smirked at the boys recollection of Josie and Colin's fight from the day before.

"I'd piss meself if I was ever on the receiving end of that," Ike agreed, nodding his head sagely while Pete tried not to laugh.

"She 'as a temper on her, I've just learned how to distract her before she really gets goin," Pete replied, leaning back in his chair smugly. For the past thirty minutes the boys hadn't stopped chattering about the run in between the two siblings, "Now just where were you lot? Joze had told me she was just going to do girly things with Emma – who knew you mates had yer bollocks removed."

Pete watched as the boys faces immediately fell and they all tried to comically change the subject with Swill going so far as trying to leap up to buy more drinks, "Oy! I don't think so," Pete yelled as he leapt up after him and shoved him back into the seat, "What were you guys up to?"

"Err, Josie didn't tell you?" Dave asked awkwardly while Pete tried not to let his temper get the best of him. Josie had been vague and mysterious about what she was doing yesterday, reassuring him only that it was something he'd eventually find out about.

"Nooo she didn't, which is why I'm asking why you lot were all out for an afternoon with my fiancé while I got stuck writing lesson plans," Pete managed to grit out, sounding only marginally bitter.

"Wewereweddingdressshopping," Swill finally blurted out quickly while the rest of the boys cringed back, wondering how Pete would react.

"Wedding dress shopping?" he managed to strangle out, shocked that the boys cared so much for Josie that they'd subject themselves to an afternoon of Emma playing dress up with her. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his hands together and gazing away from the boys as he thought about the fact that in a few months he'd be married. The usual silly grin painting his face as he realized a dress meant it was really happening.

"Well…we knew Joze doesn't have too many lady friends so we thought we'd keep her company and try to keep Emma in check. Honestly," Ike said with a short laugh, "You'dve thought Emma was the one gettin' married. Though she did find the dress for her."

Pete felt his breath catch and his words came out slightly strangled, "She found one?"

"Yep," Swill said matter-of-factly, "Yer gonna shit yerself when you see her…and I mean that in the best way possible."

"I was unaware there was a good kind of pants shitting but I'll keep that in mind," Pete managed to snort out as he grabbed for his pint glass. Draining the small amount left he moved to grab another from the bar, floating over in a happy daydream about his upcoming wedding day. _Christ, I might as well start stowing my bollock's in Josie's purse_, he thought with a short laugh. If someone, two years ago, had told him he'd be happier talking about a girl in a wedding dress than the Hammer's next match he'd have kicked the shit out of them.

As he stood waiting for the pint glass to be filled he felt a presence to the right of him, standing impressively close when the bar was barely half full. Glancing over he stepped back with surprise to see none other than Eamon Murphy standing in front of him with a sheepish smile on his face.

"Ello, Dunham," Josie's oldest brother said quietly. Pete, for one of the first times in his life, stood speechless as he stared stupidly at the man in front of him, "Erm…could I talk to you? In private?"

Pete nodded his head dumbly as he followed the other man out of the Abbey and into the early dusk light, moving a few feet away from the entrance to gain some privacy. The two stood staring at each other in silence when Pete finally snapped, "You fuckin' bastard."

Shoving the other man up against the wall, he shook Eamon in frustration, "Do you have any – _any_ – fuckin' idea what you did to your baby sister? Christ if you weren't her flesh and blood and didn't have her exact eyes staring accusingly back at me I'd slam my fist into your face until I couldn't tell whose blood was whose." He bit out angrily, the surge of emotions that he had tried to hide from Josie breaking through after so many months.

"Don't you think I know that I deserve that?" Eamon shouted back, not even struggling against the grip Pete had on him.

"God knows what you think after the shit you've pulled. She didn't sleep for weeks. Barely ate. Sat there wasting away in front of me and wouldn't even plan our wedding because you fucks wouldn't support her," Pete gritted out, allowing the bitter words to flow from him. He would never admit to anyone but himself just how close he thought he'd been to losing Josie.

Eamon dropped his head in shame, "I fucked up. It's just…I just…you don't understand."

"Don't understand?" Pete asked in disbelief, "What I don't understand is how you can ever walk away from the girl that loves her family more than herself."

"No, Dunham, you don't understand," Eamon said as he finally shoved the other man off of him, "You don't understand that Josie has had to be this strong little soldier since the day our bitch of a mother walked out, been the glue that held our fucked up little clan together. You don't understand what it's like watching her grow up with barely any friends of her own because she only wanted to tag along with her big brothers and had no idea what a dress was, let alone owned one. You don't understand how you can possibly love someone so much you'd happily go to your grave if it meant she never felt an instant of pain. You don't understand the gut wrenching fear that envelopes your very soul when her boyfriend calls to say she's banged up in a hospital because of the choices _he_ made.

"You don't understand how it feels to watch this little girl who used to make you mud pies when she was five grow into a beautiful woman who is not only head over heels in love with a man that could get her killed but that she would actually willingly die for," Eamon finished with a whisper, eyes filled with pain and sadness.

"You think I don't get that?" Pete asked in shock, "You actually think your sister is just some passing fancy to me? Don't _you_ understand that as long as I live I will do anything in my power to make her happy? She is everything to me. Since the day I met her I've been wrapped around her little finger, I will _never_ hurt her. She is my life."

The two of them stood, staring at each other silently while contemplating what each had just said. Pete couldn't believe her family still didn't understand what Josie meant to him and how she had changed the course of his life so irrevocably he'd die without her.

"What in the _fuck_ are you doing here?" another voice interrupted the impromptu staring contest and both whirled around to see a livid Colin glaring at his sibling, not even seeing Pete.

Colin advanced on his brother with fire in his eyes, causing Pete to nearly trip over the curb in his haste to get out of the line of fire, "Colin boy! Hi ya," Eamon managed to get out, having no idea of the fight Colin and Josie had gotten into just yesterday about him and Pete cringed at what he could only guess was coming.

Pete had only just managed to step fully out of the way when Colin launched himself at his older, slightly bigger brother. The two of them crashed onto the sidewalk and fists began flying, the thud of blows echoing across the empty street. Pete heard a crack that signified one of them was coming out with a broken nose and he had no idea whether to break it up or join in as it seemed Eamon was slowly getting the upper hand. Just as he'd made the decision to join in and enjoy beating Josie's older brother another interruption came along.

"Oh you have _got_ to be fuckin' kidding me," Pete looked over to see Josie's livid face and before he could react she was marching up to her two fighting siblings and reaching down. Pete nearly had a heart-attack in fear that she'd get injured but needn't have worried as she expertly managed to grab hold of one ear of each brother and began to pull hard, dragging the two fully grown men onto their feet.

Pete had to bite back a laugh as he watch the two men looking like some of his students getting caught fighting as they tried to avoid the angry gaze of their younger, much tinier sister. Suddenly she whirled her gaze onto him, "And you! Just standing there, letting them fight like that. If I had another hand you'd be getting your ear pulled off too."

"He can borrow the one I'm using right now, I wouldn't mind," Colin managed to quip out through a bloodied mouth which led to Josie releasing him then promptly smacking him across the face.

"Knock it off," she said angrily, "You're in enough trouble as it is – you owe me a phone."

Whirling around to face Eamon, she seemed to lose steam as her voice wavered slightly, "And you. Well, you just owe me about the biggest fucking apology you can manage and possibly the pony you assholes said you'd buy me for my seventh birthday that I never got."

Pete grinned slightly as he listened to his fiancé lecturing the two men. It wasn't often he got to be on the outside of her temper and he planned on enjoying it.

"I'd buy you an entire horse farm if I thought it would make up for the past few months," Eamon replied sincerely and Josie's shoulders slumped as all rage whooshed out of her.

"I'd make him pony up to that promise, Josie Jo," Colin said with a smirk at his own pun. It seemed that the little beating got any lingering anger out of system, something Pete could fully understand.

Josie rolled her eyes at the sight of the three men before her: her two siblings in various states of beat-up and her fiancé grinning like a mad man that he was getting to watch her temper turned towards someone else, "What am I going to do with you three?"

"Three?" Pete asked indignantly, "What'd I do?"

"That choir boy act won't work on her Dunham," Colin stage whispered, "Come clean, I know you were about to join in."

Throwing her hands up in frustration she glared at the three men, "Knock it off Col. Pete, you are awarded the get out of jail free card, go inside."

Pete opened his mouth to protest but stopped when he saw the look in her eyes. He knew this was a family thing. He whispered a good luck to the boys as he moved to go in only stopping to press his lips to Josie's temple, "I love you."

"Love you," she murmured before turning her gaze back to her brothers. She heard the door of the Abbey close shut and she stared into the familiar brown eyes of her brothers.

"Would you look at the state of us?" Josie said quietly as she tried to fight off the tears that were threatening.

Eamon stepped forward and quickly wrapped his arms around her before she could protest, "There are no words to make up for what I've done to you, I know that. But I promise you I will spend the rest of my life making sure you know that you're the most important girl in my life, that I will never hurt you like this again."

"And if he breaks that promise, me and Petey boy get free reign on him," Colin broke in with a grin. Yesterday's fight was a thing of the past; all he wanted was his family whole once more.

"Deal," Josie said with a small smile, "Now, how about we find the most American place in London and pretend we're wicked obnoxious tourists?"

"Pretend?" Eamon asked, "Sweetheart, you forget that I _am_ an obnoxious tourist. Not all of us have gone over to the dark side. I'm just happy you don't have some uptight British accent."

Josie rolled her eyes as she linked arms with her two brothers, "Don't worry, I think the collective island would have to beat the Boston accent out of me before I ever lost it."

"It's true," Colin nodded his head sagely, "Though you should hit the pubs brother, British girls love them a rough Boston boy."

"That right?" Eamon asked, perking up slightly, "Actually, rumor has it you're sweet on Josie Jo's only lady friend so you're not exactly living up to the Murphy reputation."

Colin flushed before knocking his brother upside the head, "Shut the fuck up and pass that slap along to Ronan…big mouth."

Josie grinned up at her two brothers, feeling like the massive weight on her shoulder had finally been removed and that now, for once, life may actually be going their way.

* * *

Rolling over onto his back, Pete tried to get comfortable while sneaking a glance at the clock. It was just past midnight and he had yet to hear from Josie. She hadn't bought a replacement phone yet and he knew he shouldn't be worried when she was just out with her brothers but he couldn't help it. Loving Josie meant feeling a constant emptiness if she wasn't around.

Finally he flipped on the bedside light, figuring he may as well grade some papers for a bit until she stumbled in.

He didn't have to wait long as not ten minutes later he heard the crash of the front door opening and the sound of a body falling to the ground. Pete was in the kitchen in four steps only to find Eamon and Colin play wrestling on the floor while Josie sat at the table inhaling a kebab like it was her last meal.

Pete smirked when Josie started playfully commentating on the fight while using her kebab as a microphone, "Ooo and looks like Murphy has him but no! Murphy gets free. And then Murphy pulls out the dreaded haymaker. Oo, that one looked like it hurt folks," she said before taking a massive bite.

"How can you tell which Murphy is winning?" Pete broke in with a smile as he dropped into the seat next to Josie, kissing her cheek quickly.

Josie grinned back at him, eyes slightly squinted in her telltale sign of drunkenness, "That's the beauty of it: the announcer is never wrong. Doner kebab?" she offered him a bite.

"I'm good babe, you look like you'd hit me if I said yes anyways."

She shrugged happily, "You're probably right. Ah," she shouted getting distracted, "Tap out Col, he's got you beat!"

"Fuck. Ou. Joze. Aren't. Announcers. Impartial?" Colin managed to wheeze out through the chokehold his brother had on him, "Alright! I submit!"

The two men rolled onto their backs on the floor, both slightly out of breath from their drunken play, "Toldja I still had it," Eamon said with a smug grin.

"I drank more, old man," Colin bit back.

"Now boys, let's not be sore losers or sore winners," Josie said evenly, "Now – get out of my flat. Eamon you can stay with Colin."

Both of them groaned at unceremoniously being thrown out but still managed to leap up nimbly for two men who'd just been drunkenly wrestling for the past ten minutes. After kisses on the cheek Josie shooed them both out before slamming the door shut and locking it.

"Well now that was a bit rude, Joze, doncha think?" Pete asked her with smirk, knowing exactly why she'd booted them out.

"Fine, if that's how you see it, you can sleep on the couch tonight," she replied back, sticking her tongue out in the process as she went to pass him.

"Don't think so love," Pete said as he gathered her in his arms garnering a squeal from her as he made a beeline for the bedroom, "Though you sure you're up for any physical activity? You went to town on that kebab," he squeezed her belly slightly until she swatted his hand away.

"I was unaware I was asking for physical activity," Josie said with a huff, "I just want to sleep," she finished with an exaggerated nod while pretending to pass out on his shoulder.

"Liar," he said with a smirk, "I can see you trying not to smile."

Josie smacked his stomach lightly, "God you're a pain in the ass."

"Ah but I'm a pain in the ass that it is stupidly in love with you and wants to marry your stubborn Yankee behind so I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Reaching their bed Pete dropped her down before climbing on top of her, trapping her hands above her head before she got the opportunity to hit him, "Oi! That's not fair, I bet lots of people would put up with me forever."

Pete arched an eyebrow as he leaned in to kiss her roughly, "That a fact?" he whispered.

Josie could only moan in response as he moved to kiss her neck gently, pausing to nibble on her ear as he went.

"What was that Murphy? I didn't catch your answer," he asked her smugly as she squirmed underneath him, pressing her body into his.

"How is it," she asked breathlessly, "After all this time, you still manage to knock the wind out of me with just a kiss?"

Pete grinned down at her happily, finally releasing her hands that she immediately wrapped around his neck, "Just the Dunham charm I suppose."

Leaning up to kiss him she managed to roll them over so she sat atop him, "Somehow I don't think a kiss from Steve would leave me quite so breathless."

"Well thank fuck for that Joze," Pete said gruffly as he leaned up to pull her top off, "Now – enough chatter. You booted your brothers out, I assume there was something you wanted to discuss with me?" he asked devilishly.

With a soft smile on her face, she unclipped her bra before leaning in to capture his lips, "Talking was at the bottom of my list actually."

* * *

**That's all for now folks!**


	35. Wrapped

"Ugh Joze suck in –" Emma said in aggravation, "The zipper is stuck."

"Ow, that hurts!" Josie cried back at her, "Apparently I've gotten a bit chunky since the honeymoon. Dress fit perfectly before I left," she said without concern.

Emma looked her friend up and down appraisingly while she stood in the white gown she was to be married in. There was a definite glow around Josie, like everything was peaceful and beautiful in the world to the point where a little weight gain was no matter, "Well what have you been eating lately?"

Josie stared off into space absentmindedly, "Um…mashed potatoes?"

Emma snorted and glanced over at Josie, thinking it was a joke, "Mashed potatoes?"

"What?" she asked defensively, "Not just plain ones but ones with sour cream and bacon or with blue cheese and peppercorn or cheddar cheese and more cheddar cheese. Lots of kinds," she finished, feeling her mouth water at the thought.

Emma rolled her eyes before turning back to face the mirror, smoothing her dress and staring in wonder at the image of herself as a bride. She grinned to herself but stopped short when she saw Josie's image in the mirror. Her normally slim friend was still slim but there was something different. There was the glow, no doubt about that and as her eyes moved down Josie's form, settling on her belly a terrifying thought struck her.

"Joze?" she asked, voice catching slightly.

"Yeah Em?" Josie responded lightly.

"Um, have you been sick lately?' she asked carefully.

A confused look fluttered across Josie's face, "Uh, no – not really at least."

"What do you mean 'not really'?" Emma asked with eyes full of concern.

"Well," Josie started, tapping her chin in thought, "I had food poisoning a week or so ago from that Thai place then I had the stomach flu for a couple days this week. Why do you ask?"

Emma's jaw dropped at how thick Josie seemed to be, "And when was your last period?"

"Huh? Erm…" Josie scanned her memory, thinking back. Since the wedding and honeymoon time had just flown by, "Well, I finished it right before the wedding, so I should be due to get it any day now."

"Josephine Dunham!" Emma shouted, nearly tumbling onto the floor in her haste to jump off the raised pedestal, "You were due to get it a month ago! How could you not notice?"

Josie's face was still a mask of confusion, "No," she said stubbornly, "We've only been married for a month, so I'm due to…oh. _Oh_. My. God." She said, realizing it had in fact been _two_ months since the wedding and she was most definitely late. Feeling lightheaded she stumbled backwards, landing in a chair in the corner of the large dressing room. Emma walked quickly towards her, lifting her dress carefully.

"Oh Joze," she cooed, rubbing her arm softly, "How did this happen?"

"Well," she started sarcastically, "When a man and a woman reeeally love each other, they get nak – "

Emma held up a hand, "_Not_ what I meant. I meant I thought you were on birth control."

"I am," Josie started defensively, "I just – oh my God," she whimpered softly, realizing what had happened.

"What?" Emma screeched impatiently.

"I missed a couple pills when we were on the honeymoon, I just…I figured it'd be ok," she trailed off, feeling ill at this new revelation as she leaned back in the chair, fighting tears.

Emma squeezed into the seat with her, rubbing her back soothingly, "What are you going to do?"

"Argh," Jose let out a frustrated cry, feeling more tears sting her eyes, "We wanted to wait before we had kids. Wait until we had a proper home and enough money. We wanted to have time to just be us, to be _normal_ – and I go and fuck it up."

"Oh relax, you didn't do it alone," Emma reasoned, "From what I've seen of the two of you Pete isn't exactly a choir boy – bloke can barely keep his hands off of you when you're within a 5 mile radius of each other."

Josie rolled her eyes but had no response as it was pretty much the truth, "How am I going to tell him?" she whispered, feeling her heart pounding in her chest and she subconsciously rubbed her still flat stomach.

"Josie Jo," Emma started softly, placing both hands on her shoulders, forcing her to meet her gaze, "Pete is going to be over the moon – he loves you and he will love your child. And I'm pretty sure he only agreed to wait on kids because that's what you said you wanted."

Josie's eyes widened, shining with tears, "Why do you say that?"

"Well…" Emma started, not sure if she should bring it up as it could just be her overactive imagination. Figuring there was no way she'd misread him she continued, "I helped him shop for a wedding gift for you and in one of the dozen stores we stopped in was a baby section. And," she hesitated again.

"Go on," Josie urged, desperate for some sign that Pete wouldn't be upset with her and would be happy they were going to have a child.

"I caught him staring in wonder at this pregnant woman who looked strikingly similar to you and fingering little baby outfits. It was adorable actually," Emma said truthfully.

"Huh," Josie said in shock, leaning back against the chair remaining silent for a minute or two as she absorbed the words' meaning, "God I hope you're right Em, I just want us to be happy…we deserve to be normal for a bit."

"That you do love," Emma said, pulling her into a tight hug, "I can't believe you're gonna have a _baby_," she whispered into her friends ear, "Shotgun Godmother!"

"Hey! You can't just _call_ things like that," she grumbled but a small smile pulled at her lips as she returned the hug.

Emma pulled away slightly, glancing at Josie's belly, "Can't believe how chubby you're gonna get," she said jokingly, chancing to touch her friend's stomach softly, amazed that her soon to be sister-in-law would be having a child.

"Oh!" a new voice joined them and Josie glanced up to see another employee of the bridal store with another bride trailing behind her, "I'm so sorry to interrupt – er…you both look beautiful, I'm sure you'll be very happy together." The woman said, before backing out of the room with a furious blush on her face.

Emma's mouth dropped open in horror and Josie let out a loud laugh, clutching her stomach, "That woman –" she said through laughs, "thought – _we_ were getting married!"

"_Not_ funny," Emma said with a frown, moving quickly off the small chair they'd been squished into and retaking her place on the pedestal in the middle of the room, "So – this is the final fit for me, you will clearly need your dress taken out but I think it's time we get out of here, call your doctor and start plotting how to tell Pete," she said with a smirk, knowing that would stop the fit of giggles Josie was still breaking into.

The desired effect occurred and a serious look replaced Josie's smile, "Guess you're right," she sighed, "Think I can get away with just letting him figure it out on his own?" she wondered out loud.

Emma let out a snort, "No Joze, I don't think you can get away with that."

Josie felt her face heat lightly, knowing she was grasping at straws and there was no way around breaking the news to Pete, "Ugh fine – let's get outta here: I'm starving."

* * *

Pete walked up the stairs hurriedly, rubbing his aching shoulders and looking forward to a quick nap before he met the boys at the pub since Josie was bogged down with wedding stuff with Emma. He pushed open the door, shocked at the sight that met him: their place was spotless. All the wedding gifts were put away, every surface gleamed and he was immediately assaulted by the smell of roast chicken.

Confused, he wandered into the bedroom to find Josie struggling to zip up a soft yellow, sundress. "Alright there gorgeous?" he said softly, eyes shining at the sight of her.

The sound of his voice seemed to startle her and she nearly knocked over the mirror as she whirled around to face him, "Shit, you scared me," she said, holding onto her chest in fright.

He gazed at her in wonder: she looked amazing, the short dress hugged her curves alluringly, her hair was curled perfectly, falling down her back in waves while her makeup was done up as well. _Am I missing something?_ he wondered in confusion,_ Thought she was busy tonight…_

Pete smirked and crossed the small room in two steps to pull her into his arms. He buried his face in her neck, placing a tender kiss at the base before pulling away. Josie stood on tiptoe to kiss him gently and he grinned into her lips, "What're you doin' 'ere? Thought you were at the beck and call of Emma's every silly wedding whim tonight?"

"Oh," she responded awkwardly, biting her lip and, for some reason, tears coming to her eyes, "Things changed and I thought I'd cook you dinner," she said sniffling slightly, "But if you have other plans…" she trailed off with a heartbroken look on her face.

Eyes widening, Pete cupped her face gently in his large hand, forcing her eyes to meet his, "I'd rather spend every, single, night with my gorgeous wife than anyone else in the world," he said as he kissed her softly.

"Good," Josie said with a smile, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"Now –" Pete said as he placed his hands on her hips, pulling her even tighter into his body, "What have you got for me love?" he asked suggestively and was shocked to see her pull a slightly horrified face. "What? Are you bored of me already?" he squeezed her side gently, trying to get a smile out of her, "Just two months and yer tired of me?"

Josie flushed red, "Ass – I'll never be tired of being a Dunham," she whispered as she pulled him again to her lips. "Now, I have a wonderful dinner planned up on the roof so stop tryin' to get me to take the dress off that I just struggled to get into and go wait up stairs."

Pete arched an eyebrow at her and watched as she walked out of their bedroom quickly leaving him with the lingering feeling that there was something very off with Josie tonight. He followed her out into the kitchen and he attempted to wrap his arms around her but she squirmed out of his grip before he could manage to lock her in place.

"Alright," he said loudly after the third time Josie pulled away from him, "What is goin' on with you?"

A comical look passed over Josie's face and she tilted her head to the side, trying to look innocent, "What'd you mean?"

"Jesus Joze – yer a shit liar, what's goin' on?" he questioned, holding her face in his hands and forcing her brown eyes to meet his.

"Whatever can you mean? Is it against the law to cook my husband dinner and clean up a bit?" she said with a false air of casualness.

Pete snorted in disbelief, "You can't stand cleaning and cooking – you're not exactly Susie homemaker love," he said in a joking tone.

That Josie clearly took as truth and tears were suddenly flowing down her face, "Oh my God – you're right! I'm going to make a terrible mother if I can only barely pass at being a so-so wife," she wailed and Pete stared down at her in shock, wondering what had gotten into her.

"Mother?" he croaked out, "Joze – I was just kiddin.' You're the most perfect thing I've got and when the time comes you'll make an amazing mother," he said, meaning every word of it. Josie having his child was a vision he was dreaming of more often than he cared to admit. Unfortunately his soothing words had little effect as she continued to sob.

"I don't have time," she yelped slightly as she pulled out of his grasp, "I have about seven months to figure out how to not be an absolute shit mother," she said as she paced the small kitchen frantically, wringing her hands together nervously.

Pete pulled a confused face, "Josie – what are you saying?" he questioned, needing confirmation of what she seemed to be saying.

"I am pregnant," she stated bluntly as she glared slightly back at Pete, apparently over her hysterics and moving onto anger, "And you, mister – " she pointed a sharp finger into his chest, "Are the father."

Pete did a very good impression of a gaping goldfish for a few seconds before his wits returned and a foolish grin broke out on his face, "I fuckin' well better be the father!" he shouted at her before pulling her into his arms and lifting her off the floor carefully. He squeezed her lightly, showering her face with kisses as he ran his hands through her hair and pulled her to his lips.

After a few minutes of gentle kisses Pete pulled away to stare down at Josie, stroking her face lightly, "So you're not mad at me?" she whispered questioningly.

"Why the hell would I be mad at you?" he asked back in disbelief, "Joze – you were gung-ho about waiting for kids. All I want in life now is a family – with _you_."

Josie held Pete's face in her hands, leaning her forehead against his, "Promise?" she whispered against his lips.

"Pinky swear," he said, taking one of her hands off his face and linking her pinky with his before leaning in to capture her lips, "Fuck baby, have I told you today that I love you?"

Josie smiled into the kiss, pressing herself against him, "You may have mentioned it a time or two which is lucky cause I'm pretty sure I love you too."

Pete leaned down and swept her up into his arms to carry her into their bedroom. He stared down at her, grinning to himself with the knowledge that his wife – his Josie was carrying his child and he moved even quicker into their room.

Josie bit her lip softly, trying to contain the grin on her face at the fact that Pete was so thrilled. She leaned up to press a kiss on his neck softly when a thought hit her, "Shit baby – the chicken!"

He snorted in response, blue eyes twinkling, "You mean to tell me that I have to wait to ravish my gorgeous wife because of…a _chicken_?"

"It'll burn plus you know I'm going to be needing food after we…" her voice trailed off and Pete nearly laughed when she blushed slightly.

"Are you actually blushing at what I'm about to do to you?" he asked with a smirk, eyes darkening as he stared down at her.

Josie squirmed slightly as Pete finally laid her softly on the bed, "Please?" she asked, pouting

slightly and he groaned softly.

"You're gonna kill me the next seven months, huh?" Pete asked with a silly smile on his face, so unbelievably willing to be at her very beck and call for the rest of his life.

"Yup," she answered back with a grin. She sat forward and inched the zipper of her dress down slowly as Pete's eyes followed the slow movement. She knelt up on her knees to kiss him softly, "Now – you go take out the chicken and when you get back I'll have this zipper allllll the way down," she whispered to him as Pete's eyes followed it down another inch.

Josie licked her lips softly and that was all it took for Pete to sprint out of the room, anxious to get the chicken out and get back to doing what he did best.

* * *

"I'm hungry now," Josie pouted up from her place in Pete's arms, snuggling back into his bare chest. He turned her towards him, tracing a finger along her collarbone, over the ridge of her shoulder then down to rest on her bare hip.

Pete smirked at her as she shivered softly at his gentle touch, "I bet you are," he whispered as he leaned into kiss her softly as he watched her adoringly when she rolled onto her stomach to look up at him, brown-gold hair looking deliciously messy.

A sudden panic hit him, "Josie!" he cried out, leaping upwards, she glanced up at him startled.

"What? _What_?" she asked urgently as she sat up too, clutching the sheet to her chest.

"Yer gonna hurt him!" Pete shouted as he pulled Josie up into an even further sitting position.

Josie stared at him in confusion before comprehension dawned on her as she stared up at Pete, "Him?" she asked with a smirk.

Pete flushed slightly, "Well I didn't wanna call it an 'it' and there's no way yer havin' a girl. Now lay on your back," he ordered sternly.

"Baby – I'm not going to hurt our child by lying on my stomach, trust me," she said with a grin, "Now," she poked him in the side, "Go get me some chicken and there's a container of mashed potatoes in the fridge."

"Whatever baby wants, baby gets," he grinned.

* * *

***Shields self from rotten tomatoes*** **Ugh, I realize this is a shit ending & skipped the wedding, Emma & Colin proposal, honeymoon (wink wink) BUT I've had this on my computer forever & I'd rather you get some small bit of closure with the option to still return and continue the Josie/Pete saga should I choose to.**

**Hope you at least enjoyed it a bit!  
**


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